Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

March 12, 2021

Assessment of Use and Fit of Face Masks Among Individuals in Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

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  • Sealing facemasks with adhesive tape strips improved the proportion of masks that had an airtight fit among mask users (n=6,003), based on a study conducted in Beijing, Yunnan, Shanxi and Jiangsu provinces (China). Participants were convenience sampled at public locations and administered a qualitative fit test to ensure proper fit and airtightness. The first qualitative fit test identified leakage in 46% of participants, with the highest failure positivity occurring at train stations (49%). Mask type was associated with fit test failure, with N95 or KN95 respirators and surgical masks having reduced odds of failure compared to disposable medical masks. Duration of facemask use was also associated with fit test failure. When applying an adhesive tape seal to the upper face mask border for the participants with initial failure (n=2754), 70% improved in a second qualitative fit test. 

Pan et al. (Mar 2021). Assessment of Use and Fit of Face Masks Among Individuals in Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.2574