Do masks prevent cold and flu viruses?

This year, everyone has gotten used to wearing masks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the world is slightly opening up again and it’s time to send kids back into classrooms this fall, other infectious diseases like cold and flu viruses are on the rise. If you went back to work or sent your children to camp this summer, they may have come home with some nasty germs such as the common cold, influenza, or other viruses like the stomach flu. Wearing a mask is commonplace to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but mask-wearing can also help protect you and your family from the common cold and influenza.

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Cold and flu masks: What’s the recommendation?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published information about guidelines regarding wearing a mask to help prevent transmitting and contracting flu viruses. They say it’s best practice to wear a medical-grade mask if you are experiencing symptoms that could indicate cold, flu, or coronavirus including:

• Cough
• Sneezing
• Trouble breathing or other respiratory distress
• Fever
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Muscle or body aches
• Fatigue
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting or diarrhea 

The CDC also warns that people can be contagious even when asymptomatic before or after symptoms occur. To be safe, people can wear a mask to help prevent getting sick. 

Except in healthcare settings, wearing a mask may be new to us in the U.S., but mask-wearing to prevent catching or giving germs is not considered strange in other parts of the world. “Routinely wearing a mask to avoid transmitting or being exposed to colds or flu is common in other countries,” says Kunjana Mavunda, MD, a Florida-based, board-certified pediatric pulmonologist at KIDZ Medical who specializes in travel medicine. Now that you’re used to wearing masks for COVID prevention, you can incorporate mask-wearing into cold and flu prevention as well. 

When are face masks effective?

Masks help with infection control and reduce cold and influenza virus transmission. “Masks do add a layer of protection, which has been confirmed in the research regarding flu transmission specifically,” Dr. Mavunda says. The reason is that the way the cold and flu spreads can be blocked by the usage of a mask. Masks are especially effective if:

1. You’re around someone who is coughing or sneezing

“COVID, flu, and common cold are all viruses and are transmitted either through respiratory droplets or contact,” says Daniel Burnett, MD, a California-based physician. “Masks protect against transmission through respiratory droplets via blocking large droplets from leaving the user’s mouth/nose or from entering another’s mouth/nose.” When you cough or sneeze, or even breathe heavily, you release small particles through the air. These particles can contain germs and increase the spread of influenza and cold viruses. Similarly, when you breathe around other people, you are sharing their air and therefore can contract their illnesses. 

2. You’re returning to school or work

Doctors have seen less cases of seasonal influenza and the common cold during the pandemic. “During this pandemic, masking, adequate hand hygiene, and social distancing used for prevention of COVID-19 transmission led to significant decline in infections with other respiratory viruses such as influenza, parainfluenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) in all age groups, from infants to the elderly, and this in turn led to less exacerbation of chronic diseases such as asthma and COPD,” Dr. Mavunda says. One upside of the pandemic is a break from the season of sickness, which is a relief to everyone, especially people who are at high risk when it comes to respiratory infections. Unfortunately, returning to work or school is causing a resurgence of cold and influenza transmission. 

3. You might touch your face

Masks have another, somewhat hidden way they keep you from getting infected with respiratory illnesses. “Masks also protect against contact transmission,” Dr. Burnett explains, “by discouraging the most likely source of contact infection: touching of the user’s face with fingers that have become contaminated.” 

What type of mask is best?

The best masks to help prevent cold and flu and those that are sold as medical-grade. 

Medical masks

The simple, surgical masks or medical masks healthcare workers wear are effective, as are the heavy-duty N95 respirators that were flying off shelves during the first part of the pandemic. “An N95 allows ~5% of droplets that are 0.3 microns in size to pass into the mouth/nose and even that is only if they are professionally fit,” Dr. Burnett says. The use of masks can be as simple as buying a pack at the grocery store. 

Fabric masks

Fabric masks come in a wide variety of thicknesses and therefore protection levels against respiratory illnesses. “The typical cloth mask does provide protection against aerosolized droplets which can also carry the virus,” Dr. Burnett says, but the CDC advises two layers of fabric to protect yourself and others. During the pandemic, wearers often double masked with fabric masks to make sure they are protected and protective. The wearer can also check the packaging and purchase fabric or synthetic materials in masks that are approved to prevent the spread of disease. 

Vented masks

Masks with vents keep you protected but allow you to spread droplets to others and are not approved or recommended for flights or other high-contact areas. Masks with nose wires are ideal for ensuring a tight fit over your nose so air cannot escape. 

Face shields

Other face coverings like face shields and gators are not protective enough on their own and must be used with a proper-fitting mask. People with beards must be extra careful to ensure proper, tight fit. Children over the age of 2 should wear appropriately sized masks. 

In terms of usage, follow the mask guidance from the CDC’s best practices regarding coronavirus:

• Wash reusable masks after each use.
• Dispose of paper masks after each use.
• Wear the mask correctly: It must cover your nose and mouth.
• Ensure proper fit and material: Your mask should fit snugly while still allowing you to breathe comfortably.  

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Other ways to prevent the spread of cold and flu

The CDC outlines the best cold and flu prevention techniques, many of which we are familiar with as ways to help slow the spread of COVID-19. These include:

• Practice frequent handwashing, following proper handwashing technique with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds
• Use alcohol-based hand-sanitizer when you cannot use soap and water
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your arm, not your hands
• Use a disposable tissue for any nose blowing or wiping
• Avoid touching your face
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home if you’re sick and isolate for at least 24 hours after your fever breaks
• Clean and disinfect possibly infected surfaces
• Get vaccinated as soon as a flu vaccine is available if you are able to receive the vaccination
• Get tested if you suspect you may have COVID-19

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Managing symptoms

If you get sick with a cold or the flu, unfortunately, the best thing you can do is wait it out and manage your symptoms and take over the counter or prescription medications as recommended by your healthcare professional. 

Best practices include:

• Get plenty of rest and fluids
• Use a saline spray to help with nasal congestion
• Take an over the counter antihistamine or prescription expectorants such as guaifenesin to cut down on mucus 
• Take over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with aches and pains
• Take cough medicine to relieve your symptoms and help you get rest
• For the flu, healthcare providers can prescribe antivirals such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Relenza (zanamivir), Rapivab (peramivir), or Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil)
• For severe colds, healthcare providers can prescribe cold medication or recommend zinc supplements

“When combined with other practices, such as hand hygiene or social distancing, masks do have a role to play,” Dr. Mavunda advises. The flu can be dangerous and, every year, leads to hospitalizations and death. Do your part, get your flu shot, and plan to wear a mask this cold and flu season to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.