People are being warned not to remove face masks when in public toilets and closed spaces such as elevators after a study found that people can easily contract the novel coronavirus while using these facilities.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers led by Chulabhorn Research Institute researcher Kwanrawee Sirikanchana, found that using public toilets may increase the risk of Covid-19 via airborne transmission.
The study, published in the Journal of Water and Health, focused on the effects of face masks and ventilation and the risk of Covid-19 respiratory transmission in public toilets.
It looked at scenarios where an individual used a public toilet after a Covid-19 infected person. One involved neither of them wearing a face mask and others where they both wore N95 or surgical face masks.
The study found that without face masks, there was a 10% risk of…
