How efficient are facial masks against COVID-19? Evaluating the mask use of various communities one year into the pandemic

Abstract

Face masks are devices worn over the mouth and nose to protect against splashes, infectious respiratory droplets or aerosols generated during breathing or coughing according to their filtering capacity. Medical masks, respirators or cloth masks have been used for source control and for the protection of the exposed. After the first case on March 11, 2020, in Turkey, National COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board published various contents for the correct use of masks. Medical face masks have been used in healthcare settings for both source control and potential personal protection before the COVID-19 pandemic. Adverse events associated with using masks are very sparse and mainly associated with tight-fitting respirators or dermatitis due to prolonged use and shouldn't be a reason for rejection for use. Studies suggest the use of masks mainly in the healthcare facilities but also in the community for source control of people who have respiratory symptoms of communicable diseases other than COVID-19. They are likely to be acceptable if recommended, particularly in more severe epidemics and pandemics. Metaanalysis, case control, cross sectional, cohort, retrospective, retrospective cross sectional, research, randomized controlled and controlled comparison studies were reviewed on the protective effect of masks on COVID-19 with laboratory evidence. Optimum use of face masks with additional precautions found useful controlling the spread of the respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 in most of the studies and meta-analyses.As a conclusion, the recent evidence in COVID-19 pandemic is consistent with the previous studies which have shown association between face mask use and decreased risk of viral infections, and medical face mask use should be encouraged both for the community and healthcare facilities along with other infection control measures such as hand hygiene, during outbreaks when there is widespread community transmission.

Comparative Performance Evaluation of Personal Protective Measures and Antiviral Agents Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants: A Narrative Review

“…20 Researchers recommend a regular change of facemasks for improved effectiveness. 21 A study found that wearing a surgical mask can decrease the probability of Covid-19 disease by 56%. 22 A meta-analysis reported that N95 or similar masks have an effectiveness of up to 70.0% because of the risk of SARS-CoV-2 disease in comparison to approximately 30.0% for surgical or medical masks.…”

Conocimiento sobre la COVID-19 y uso correcto de mascarilla en trabajadores de una universidad de Perú durante la pandemia: estudio transversal

“…Los EPI y la percepción adecuada de las personas frente al uso de estos han demostrado que disminuyen la transmisión de la infección por SARS-CoV-2 (19)(20)(21) . Sin embargo, la efectividad se ve reducida cuando la utilización no es la correcta o existe poca adherencia a estos (22) . Por otro lado, existe escasa evidencia del nivel de conocimiento de la COVID-19, las medidas de bioseguridad y el uso correcto de los EPI en países de baja o media renta.…”

Perceived Effectiveness of COVID-19 Preventive Practices and Behavioral Intention: Survey of a Representative Adult Sample in the United States

“…Social distancing encompasses 3 of the CDC recommended behaviors: maintaining 6 feet distance when around other people, avoiding close contact with those outside of one’s household, and avoiding contact with individuals who are sick. The majority of efficacy studies have focused on the effectiveness of social distancing and mask-wearing [ 20 , 21 , 57 ]. More recent studies have reconfirmed the efficacy of mask-wearing in reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection [ 57 ].…”