Medical Face Masks Do Not Affect Acid-Base Balance Yet Might Facilitate the Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in Hospital Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The presence of was confirmed in both nasal carriers and non-carriers which may demonstrate the cross-contamination and spread of this bacterium via hands. was found on external and internal surfaces of face masks of each type, and therefore could also be transmitted via hands from external sources. The 3 h exposure time is not sufficient for Gram-negative rods and mold contamination. Moreover, there were no significant differences in most of the parameters studied between the first and second examinations, both in spirometry and capillary blood gas analysis ( > 0.05).