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Wearing face masks in public spaces could not only make a decisive contribution to reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

Even where infections cannot be avoided, reducing the infectious dose would most likely prevent symptomatic diseases or reduce their severity.

The Rostock tropical medicine specialist Emil Reisinger is convinced of this, as he demonstrated in a study recently published in the “Deutsches Ärzteblatt”.

Among other things, he referred to findings from the Swiss army.

For two companies, masks and minimum distances were only ordered nine days after the first case of infection.

Thereafter, 30 percent of the soldiers fell ill with Covid-19, and Sars-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 62 percent without symptoms.

In another, spatially separate company, masks and minimum distances were arranged before the first case of infection.

None of these soldiers was sick, antibodies were detected in only 15 percent.

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After evaluating several studies, Reisinger and his team came to the conclusion that the complication and death rates remained low in countries in which mouth and nose covering is widespread.

This applies to Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, for example, where masks were common during the cold season before the Covid 19 pandemic.

In other countries, however, contradicting messages confused people and reduced compliance with the mask requirement.

"In addition to clear communication, the role model effect of those responsible is of decisive importance," said Reisinger.

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"FFP2 masks are for professionals in professional situations"

In order to significantly reduce the transmission of corona viruses in everyday situations, cloth masks are usually sufficient, the expert emphasized.

However, they should consist of at least three layers of dense fabric.

For high-risk activities, especially for patients with Sars-CoV-2 infection, the Federal Office for Occupational Safety and Health recommends a better protective FFP2 mask for health workers.

The federal and state governments had agreed that in the future, masks that protect better than everyday masks made of fabric must be worn on buses, trains and shops.

These can be surgical masks, FFP2 or KN95 masks that have a comparable standard.

This met with skepticism from the head of the Institute for Medical Microbiology at the Rostock University Medical Center, Andreas Podbielski.

"FFP2 masks are intended for professionals in professional situations," he said.

"The FFP2 masks offer noticeable breathing resistance." Therefore, in labor law, a maximum wearing time of 75 minutes with a subsequent recovery time of 30 minutes is recommended.