evidence: Our reported data confirm the urgent need to inform the general public about the importance of wearing single-use face masks for shorter periods of time with respect to the current common practice, replacing them more frequently or, alternatively, sanitizing them properly. This is imperative especially in closed environments, where heat, humidity and CO2 produced by human breath, as well as the morphological nature of the mask, create a breeding ground for many kinds of life forms. However, disinfection or sterilization methods should be treated with caution, as they must guarantee effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, that the mask is not damaged and does not lose its filtration capacity, and that they are not harmful to the person wearing the mask41.