A Quantitative Risk Assessment for Determining the Efficacy of Wearing Makeup in Reducing the Transmission of COVID-19 between Genders in the USA.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is a highly infectious disease of paramount public health importance. COVID-19 is mainly transmitted via human-to-human contact. This could be through self-inoculation resulting from failure to observe proper hand hygiene and infection control practices. Our objective was to develop a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) model for determining the efficacy of wearing makeup as a mitigation in reducing COVID-19 transmission between genders. Utilizing the epidemiologic problem oriented approach methodology, after reviewing different published literature, and data collected from different sources including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), selected journals, and reports, a comprehensive knowledgebase was developed. A conceptual scenario tree drown based on the knowledgebase. Variables were grouped into five major parameters. Monte Carlo simulations of QRA parameters were run utilizing @Risk software. The probability of COVID-19 transmission due to the face-touching frequency times per hour ranged from 2.30 × 10-7 to 3.87 × 10-5 with the mean and standard deviation (SD) of 7.93 × 10-6 and 6.37 × 10-6 respectively. The probability of transmission due to T-zone touching frequency times per hour for all the participants and those females who usually wear makeup and both males and few females who do not, with values ranging from 9.66 × 10-8 to 7.20 × 10-6 with the mean and SD of 1.85 × 10-6 and 1.29 × 10-6 respectively. Females were the less likely to touch their faces (45%), compared to males (55%). Females were less likely to touch their faces and contact with the T-zone when wearing makeup (24%) than that of those who did not (62%). Wearing makeup is a way to create a barrier between your face, especially the T-zone and your contaminated hands. The use of makeup can be utilized as a mitigation, which reduces the likelihood of face touching and thus in the transmission of COVID-19.