Which type of infections require the use of surgical masks to prevent transmission?

Surgical masks are specifically designed to be effective in preventing the transmission of droplet-transmissible infections. These infections are spread through respiratory droplets that are generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or breathes. The masks serve as a barrier to catch these droplets, thereby reducing the risk of contagion to others.

Droplet-transmissible infections include diseases such as influenza and COVID-19, where the pathogens are expelled in larger respiratory droplets. Surgical masks are effective in filtering out these droplets and helping to contain the spread of the infection, especially in healthcare settings where close contact with potentially infected individuals occurs.

In contrast, airborne infections require a different type of protection, often involving N95 respirators or other specialized respirators, as these infections can linger in the air for extended periods and be transmitted through tiny aerosolized particles that can bypass simple surgical masks. Contact infections involve transmission through direct contact with contaminated surfaces or materials, which would necessitate different protective measures. Vector-borne infections, on the other hand, are transmitted through vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks and do not involve respiratory transmission, making surgical masks unnecessary for prevention in those cases.