Sources on Masks

The most recent review into the effectiveness of face masks has confirmed that they do help to prevent covid-19, but the intervention remains a controversial issue

Studies on masking could not, on their own, produce the evidence that public policy demanded.

The science has not changed. High-quality masks still protect against the coronavirus.

Nature - A diverse panel of 386 experts in COVID-19 from more than 100 countries agreed on the effectiveness of N95 masks as well as a range of other public health issues.

The findings are reported by a team at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust. The research has not yet been peer-reviewed, but is being released

Explains why N95 masks work best.

Workshop link at: https://academicmedicaleducation.com/meeting/international-workshop-covid-19-vaccines-2022-december-edition?tab=3

Cochrane Library officially apologizes for poor review.

“Many commentators have claimed that a recently-updated Cochrane Review shows that ‘masks don't work,’ which is an inaccurate and misleading interpretation.”

A meta-analysis seeks to be the last word on the effectiveness of masks, but finding answers in science isn’t that easy.

A new scientific review of the efficacy of masks is deeply flawed. That hasn’t stopped some from touting it.

Explains problems with the Cochrane review on masks.

A respected science organization says its review of studies about respiratory viruses was misinterpreted to incorrectly claim masks were useless.

New mask studies relying on a medical paradigm do not erase decades of engineering and occupational science that show they work

Explains how N95 masks work.

You’ve seen them a million times. You might be wearing one right now. But do you know how they work to block a potentially virus-carrying respiratory blob?

A recent study shows why fitted masks like N95s are superior to surgical masks.

Even partly-effective masks can stop the spread of COVID-19, so long as enough people wear them.

A short thread on why N95 (and better) masks work. First, a simple explanation: https://t.co/i60dZ46xWH— laurie allee (@laurieallee) October 5, 2022

This attempt to discredit a central piece of protective gear used around the globe fails to account for several fundamental scientific principles.

There are several type classifications for FFP type respirator masks. Check out which ones you need and how they compare in our quick blog.

After exposure to someone with SARS-CoV-2 infection, an uninfected person’s risk of infection is cut in half if both people wore masks, researchers reported in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

In a so-called natural experiment, two school districts in Boston maintained masking after mandates had been lifted in others, enabling a unique comparison.

In one study, stricter mask policies reduced school infections by more than 70 percent during the delta wave.

Today, CDC released three studies in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that highlight the importance of using layered prevention strategies including universal masking to stop the spread and minimize disruptions to school operations for safe in-person education.

WHO has updated its guidelines on mask wearing in community settings, COVID-19 treatments, and clinical management. This is part of a continuous process of reviewing such materials, working with guideline development groups composed of independent, international experts who consider the latest available evidence and the changing epidemiology.

This cohort study compares the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 among health care workers by mask preference and level of patient exposure.

When an N95 respirator shortage left hospitals scrambling in 2020, U.S. manufacturers stepped in. Now, those companies are facing bankruptcies and layoffs as Chinese-made masks flood the market again.

Researchers looked at what happened in Massachusetts schools when they lifted mask mandates. It resulted in 29.4 percent more cases in the 15 weeks after the decision.