Mycological Study in Different Types of Face Masks

Objectives The objective of the study is to investigate fungal contamination of reused face masks among patients and healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 96 subjects by the Department of ENT in Justice K S Hegde hospital, a unit of the K S Hegde Medical Academy, affiliated to NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India, for 2 months (August 2021- September 2021). This study included healthcare workers and patients visiting the outpatient department (OPD) and wards, using the same mask for three consecutive days. Results A total of 96 people participated in the study, divided into three different groups. The first group comprised 32 individuals using surgical masks, the second group included 32 people using N95 masks, and the third group consisted of 32 individuals using cloth masks. In the first week of incubation, fungal growth was detected in one individual wearing an N95 mask, and in the second week, fungal growth was observed in individuals using a surgical mask, an N95 mask, and a cloth mask. The growing fungus was Candida albicans . The results indicate no statistically significant association between the type of mask used and the occurrence of fungal growth (p>0.05). Conclusion Our study highlighted the need for future research to determine the prevalence and diversity of different fungal species on face masks.