One study in Hong Kong found that routine hand washing and wearing masks reduce the risk of influenza virus infections among family members when implemented properly.

The findings, published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the situation is deemed critical to the pandemic, if the number of patients should be quarantined at home when the hospital’s shortage of isolation rooms. “During the pandemic period, existing resources may not be sufficient to accommodate all the patients infected with the flu, and methods of quarantine at home will be required,” the researchers wrote.

“Our results found that the use of masks and hand hygiene may reduce transmission of virus when implemented as soon as possible after symptoms of the disease began to appear on the very first time when patient is infected with by the virus.”

Led by a public health expert, Ben Cowling from the University of Hong Kong, the researchers examined a number of positive patients suffering from either influenza A or B.

Together with the family members of patients, it is rarely that from those previously entered in one of three groups: those who had health education, a group that regularly wash hands, and groups that routinely hand washing and wearing masks.