To perform at its best in an environment where no end to the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight, the J-League professional football league takes comprehensive measures to stop the transmission and spread of viral infection. The suppression of oral droplets is a key target in combatting infection, and the wearing of masks is considered the most effective method of containing transmission. While extensive research has confirmed that tight-fitting, non-woven fabric masks suppress droplets, many of the non-woven masks in use nowadays have poor breathability. And when these masks are worn in the inappropriate way, their protective function is likely to be lost.
Kao Corporation has been collaborating with several researchers and organizations (Professor Tomoaki Okuda of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, Kashima Antlers F.C. Co., Ltd., and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) to jointly develop a mask that combines high breathability with a robust ability to suppress the spread of oral droplets. Based on the assessment of its efficacy and comfort, this joint research aims to enhance the safety of large-scale events during the pandemic. Demonstration tests involving athletes, coaches, spectators, and other participants started on May 26 at a J1 League match between the Kashima Antlers and Cerezo Osaka. If the tests progress as planned, the first results will come in by September 2021.
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Joint Research to Assess the Comfort and Protective Effects of a Mask That Combines High Breathability with a Robust Suppression of Oral Droplets ―Demonstration Tests to Be Conducted at Kashima Stadium―