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Tag: masks
January 20, 2021
Mask-Wearing and Control of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the USA: A Cross-Sectional Study
A cross-sectional survey study (n =378,207 participants) of mask-wearing and physical distancing in the US found that a 10% increase in self-reported mask-wearing was associated with an increased odds of transmission control at the community level (OR=3.53). Communities with high reported mask-wearing and physical distancing had the highest predicted probability of transmission control. Segmented regression…
January 15, 2021
COVID-19: Performance Study of Microplastic Inhalation Risk Posed by Wearing Masks
A comparison of seven commercially available masks with a vacuum pump suggested that N95 respirators allow the fewest microplastics from the ambient air and from the mask to pass through the mask. The other types of masks, including surgical, cotton, non-woven, and activated carbon masks, reduced microplastic simulated inhalation risk through four hours of wear,…
January 14, 2021
Comprehensive Characterization of Protective Face Coverings Made from Household Fabrics
A comparison of 21 different face coverings made from household materials found that 1000-thread-count cotton had a filtration efficiency of at least 40% for sub-micron aerosols while offering comparable breathing resistance to N95 respirators, providing some level of protection for the wearer. In contrast, most single-layered materials had filtration efficiencies of <20%, offering little protection….
January 8, 2021
Effectiveness of Physical Distancing: Staying 6 Feet Over to Put Respiratory Viruses 6 Feet Under
Results from an analysis of 13,324 nasopharyngeal swabs collected at a single hospital in Arizona between January 1, 2017, and July 31, 2020, found a significant reduction in the detection of respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2, coinciding with the implementation of distancing and masking policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average monthly positivity rate for…
December 21, 2020
Face Covering Adherence Is Positively Associated with Better Mental Health and Wellbeing a Longitudinal Analysis of the CovidLife Surveys
[Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A longitudinal UK-wide survey found that individuals who wore face coverings “most of the time” or “always” had better mental health and wellbeing than those who did not, even after controlling for behavioral, social, and psychological factors. The odds of feeling anxious were 58% lower among individuals who “always” adhered to guidance…
December 10, 2020
Evaluation of Cloth Masks and Modified Procedure Masks as Personal Protective Equipment for the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fitted filtration efficiency (FFE) of consumer-grade masks and improvised face coverings was similar to FFE of non-N95 respirator medical procedure masks with modifications to enhance fit, suggesting they are comparable in their ability to protect the wearer. FFE of consumer grade masks ranged from 26.5% to 79.5%. The highest performing consumer-grade mask was a 2-layer,…
December 2, 2020
Voluntary Adoption of Social Welfare-Enhancing Behavior: Mask-Wearing in Spain during the COVID-19 Outbreak
A nationally representative survey of 4000 citizens in Spain during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic reported that 49% of respondents wore protective masks either occasionally or very frequently, 10% rarely wore a mask, and 41% never wore a mask. People who were young, had higher educational attainment, reported a lower concern about infection, and…
November 20, 2020
Trends in County-Level COVID-19 Incidence in Counties With and Without a Mask Mandate — Kansas, June 1–August 23, 2020
After implementation of mask mandates in 24 Kansas counties, the increasing trend in COVID-19 incidence reversed. Although rates were considerably higher in mandated counties than in non-mandated counties, rates in mandated counties declined markedly after July 3, compared with those in non-mandated counties. Kansas counties that had mask mandates in place appear to have mitigated…
November 19, 2020
Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers
An individually randomized controlled trial in Denmark from April to May 2020 (n=4,862) found that among participants spending at least 3 hours outside of home per day without occupational mask use and already practicing physical distancing, the intervention to recommend wearing a surgical mask when outside of home did not significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection among…
November 2, 2020
How Effective Is the Filtration of ‘KN95’ Filtering Facepiece Respirators During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
An investigation of filtration performance of different filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) found high disparities between FFRs purchased by healthcare establishments. NIOSH-approved certification offered good efficiency compared to non NIOSH-approved FFRs. Furthermore, inspecting FFRs visually was not helpful in determining if the product was counterfeit or had defects. Brochot et al. (Oct 30, 2020). How Effective…
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