Fungal contamination of medical masks among forensic healthcare workers in the COVID19 era

Background: Medical masks are widely used in health care settings to protect healthcare workers from respiratory infections, particularly in the context of the recent Covid-19 disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 52 used masks collected from 52 forensic healthcare practitioners was conducted to culture for fungal isolation and identification. A study of fungal contamination was conducted by making an impression of the mouth mask cut piece on Sabouraud agar for selective isolation; each health worker completed a questionnaire, which included age, sex, type of mask, and duration of mask use.

Results: Twenty five of the 52 used masks tested positive for fungal contamination (48,08%). A total of 44% of the contaminated masks belong to health workers between the ages of 21-30 years. Surgical masks (80%), KN95 (8%), and N95 (4%) were the most contaminated protective devices. Usage duration of 1-2 h was associated with 4% of fungal contamination, while a usage duration of 5-6 h was associated with 36% of fungal contamination. Alternaria sp (32%), Penicillium sp (20%), Aspergillus sp (16%) were the most predominant isolated fungi discovered on the inside areas of the masks.

Conclusion: Because fungi are known to cause allergies and serious adverse health effects following recommendations to properly wear a medical mask is critical to preventing fungal contamination, especially among health care workers who are wearing the same mask for a long period during the pandemic.