Six commercially available surgical gown materials were tested for resistance to viral penetration and for heat and moisture transfer capabilities. All the materials contained films laminated onto substrate fabrics. Two of the samples contained microporous films, while the other four contained monolithic films. The samples containing the microporous film failed to prevent passage of the virus, while those containing the monolithic film did prevent penetration. The microporous films did allow the highest level of moisture vapor permeability and comfort ratings, but the values for some of the monolithic films fabrics were comparable. In order to investigate the effect of pore size on barrier and comfort properties, polycarbonate membranes of known pore sizes were subjected to the same test methods as the fabrics. The virus was found to be withheld by membranes with a pore size of 0.05 μm.
