Clinical Trial on the Efficacy of Different Masks With and Without a Peripheral Sealing Device, Against Covid-19

A significant number of professionals subjected to high-risk situations have been infected by Covid-19, due to the lack of adequate respiratory protection equipment or poor marginal sealing adjustments. Then, the objective of this study is to determine if there are statistically significant differences in the level of respiratory protection of type IIR surgical face masks and filtering face masks, used with and without a peripheral sealing device, against the contagion of Covid-19 or other harmful biological agents. The proposed device is a thermoplastic resin ring composed of a reusable and biodegradable polylactic acid designed to be used in a healthcare environment. The individuals of the study will be submitted to qualitative fit tests, that meet current Ocupational Security and Health Administration (OSHA) standard. The mentioned qualitative fit test uses a sodium saccharin solution to evaluate the respiratory protection equipment in professionals in hospitals, emergency centers, and early childhood education centers.