Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have recommended their citizens to adopt social distance, hand hygiene, and face mask wearing. However, wearing face masks has not been well adopted by many citizens. While the reasons are complex, there is a general perception that the evidence to support face mask wearing is lacking, especially for the general public in a community setting. Face mask wearing can block or filter airborne virus-carrying particles through the working of colloid and interface science. This paper assesses current knowledge behind the design and functioning of face masks by reviewing the selection of materials, mask specifications, relevant laboratory tests, and respiratory virus transmission trials, with an overview of future development of reusable masks for the general public. This review highlights the effectiveness of face mask wearing in the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

自 COVID-19 大流行爆发以来，大多数国家都建议其公民保持社交距离、保持手部卫生和戴口罩。然而，戴口罩并没有被很多市民很好地接受。尽管原因很复杂，但人们普遍认为缺乏支持戴口罩的证据，特别是对于社区环境中的公众而言。佩戴口罩可以通过胶体和界面科学的作用来阻挡或过滤空气中携带病毒的颗粒。本文通过回顾材料的选择、口罩规格、相关实验室测试和呼吸道病毒传播试验，评估了口罩设计和功能背后的现有知识，并概述了面向公众的可重复使用口罩的未来发展。该评论强调了佩戴口罩在预防 COVID-19 感染方面的有效性。