The Impact of a National Surgical Mask Wearing Policy on COVID-19 Transmission in Haemodialysis Units in the Republic of Ireland.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sexton DJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7775609 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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The Impact of a National Surgical Mask Wearing Policy on COVID-19 Transmission in Haemodialysis Units in the Republic of Ireland.
Sexton Donal J DJ O'Connor Patrick P McBrearty Eileen E Mellotte George G
Kidney international reports 20210101 3
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Project description:The effectiveness of mask wearing at controlling severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission has been unclear. While masks are known to substantially reduce disease transmission in healthcare settings [D. K. Chu et al., Lancet 395, 1973–1987 (2020); J. Howard et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118, e2014564118 (2021); Y. Cheng et al., Science eabg6296 (2021)], studies in community settings report inconsistent results [H. M. Ollila et al., medRxiv (2020); J. Brainard et al., Eurosurveillance 25, 2000725 (2020); T. Jefferson et al., Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 11, CD006207 (2020)]. Most such studies focus on how masks impact transmission, by analyzing how effective government mask mandates are. However, we find that widespread voluntary mask wearing, and other data limitations, make mandate effectiveness a poor proxy for mask-wearing effectiveness. We directly analyze the effect of mask wearing on SARS-CoV-2 transmission, drawing on several datasets covering 92 regions on six continents, including the largest survey of wearing behavior (n= 20 million) [F. Kreuter et al., https://gisumd.github.io/COVID-19-API-Documentation (2020)]. Using a Bayesian hierarchical model, we estimate the effect of mask wearing on transmission, by linking reported wearing levels to reported cases in each region, while adjusting for mobility and nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as bans on large gatherings. Our estimates imply that the mean observed level of mask wearing corresponds to a 19% decrease in the reproduction number R. We also assess the robustness of our results in 60 tests spanning 20 sensitivity analyses. In light of these results, policy makers can effectively reduce transmission by intervening to increase mask wearing.
| S-EPMC9191667 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cloth face coverings and surgical masks have become commonplace across the United States in response to the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. While evidence suggests masks help curb the spread of respiratory pathogens, population level, empirical research remains limited. Face masks have quickly become a topic of public debate as government mandates have started requiring their use. Here we investigate the association between self-reported mask wearing, social distancing and community SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the United States, as well as the effect of statewide mandates on mask uptake. Serial cross-sectional surveys were administered June 3 through July 27, 2020 via a web platform. Surveys queried individuals' likelihood to wear a face mask to the grocery store or with family and friends. Responses (N = 378,207) were aggregated by week and state and combined with measures of the instantaneous reproductive number (Rt ), social distancing proxies, respondent demographics and other potential sources of confounding. We fit multivariate logistic regression models to estimate the association between mask wearing and community transmission control (Rt <1) for each state and week. Multiple sensitivity analyses were considered to corroborate findings across mask wearing definitions, Rt estimators and data sources. Additionally, mask wearing in 12 states was evaluated two weeks before and after statewide mandates. We find an increasing trend in mask usage across the U.S., although uptake varies by geography and demographic groups. A multivariate logistic model controlling for social distancing and other variables found a 10% increase in mask wearing was associated with a 3.53 (95% CI: 2.03, 6.43) odds of transmission control (Rt <1). We also find that communities with high mask wearing and social distancing have the highest predicted probability of a controlled epidemic. These positive associations were maintained across sensitivity analyses. Following state mandates, mask wearing did not show significant statistical changes in uptake, however the positive trend of increased mask wearing over time was preserved. Widespread utilization of face masks combined with social distancing increases the odds of SARS-CoV-2 transmission control. Mask wearing rose separately from government mask mandates, suggesting supplemental public health interventions are needed to maximize mask adoption and disrupt the spread of SARS-CoV-2, especially as social distancing measures are relaxed.
| S-EPMC7457618 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The importance of using masks during exercise has increased since the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate the effects of using surgical masks on gas exchange and exercise responses in maximal exercise. Twenty-six participants were included. Participants performed the maximal exercise tests twice, masked, and unmasked. Gas exchange parameters (at maximal exercise and anaerobic threshold [AT]) and hemodynamic responses were measured. In the hemodynamic responses measured at rest, only the saturation of peripheral oxygen (SpO2 ) was lower in the masked (mean: 97.23 ± 1.33%) measurement than in the unmasked (mean: 97.96 ± 1.07%) measurement (p = 0.006). Test duration was lower in the masked test (unmasked: 10.32 ± 1.36 min vs. masked: 10.03 ± 1.42 min, p = 0.030). Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak ) (unmasked: 31.23 ± 5.37 vs. masked: 27.03 ± 6.46 ml/kg/min), minute ventilation (VE ) l/min, and energy expenditure (EE) kcal/hour were higher in unmasked tests (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the gas exchange parameters measured at the AT in the masked and unmasked tests (p > 0.05). Respiratory gas exchange parameters were affected in peak exercise due to increased respiratory workload, but not at the AT. There was no change in hemodynamic responses because vascular control may not be affected by mask usage.
| S-EPMC9111440 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Despite the global implementation of COVID-19 mitigation measures, the disease continues to maintain transmission. Although mask wearing became one of the key measures for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 early in the pandemic period, many countries have relaxed the mandatory or recommended wearing of masks. The objective of the present study was to estimate the epidemiological impact of removing the mask-wearing recommendation in Japan. We developed a model to assess the consequences of declining mask-wearing coverage after the government revoked its recommendation in February 2023. The declining mask-wearing coverage was estimated using serial cross-sectional data, and a mathematical model was devised to determine the age-specific incidence of COVID-19 using the observed case count in Tokyo from week of October 3, 2022 to October 30, 2023. We explored model-based counterfactual scenarios to measure hypothetical situations in which the mask-wearing coverage decreases or increases relative to the observed coverage. The results show that mask-wearing coverage declined from 97% to 69% by the week of October 30, 2023, and that if the mask-wearing recommendation had continued, 427 lives could have been saved in Tokyo. If the mask-wearing coverage had declined to 25% of the observed level, the model suggests there might have been 1587 additional deaths. Thus, revoking the mask-wearing recommendation had a substantial epidemiological impact. In future pandemics, our proposed approach could provide a real-time quantification of the effects of relaxing countermeasures.
| S-EPMC11382031 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Pandemic COVID-19 has become a seriously public health priority worldwide. Comprehensive strategies including travel restrictions and mask-wearing have been implemented to mitigate the virus circulation. However, detail information on community transmission is unavailable yet. METHODS:From January 23 to March 1, 2020, 127 patients (median age: 46 years; range: 11-80) with 71 male and 56 female, were confirmed to be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China. Epidemiological trajectory and clinical features of these COVID-19 cases were retrospectively retrieved from electronic medical records and valid individual questionnaire. RESULTS:The disease onset was between January 9 to February 14, 2020. Among them, 64 patients are local residents, and 63 patients were back home from Wuhan from January 10 to 24, 2020 before travel restriction. 197 local residents had definite close-contact with 41 pre-symptomatic patients back from Wuhan. 123 and 74 of them contact with mask-wearing or with no mask-wearing pre-symptomatic patients back from Wuhan, respectively. Data showed that incidence of COVID-19 was significantly higher for local residents close-contact with no mask-wearing Wuhan returned pre-symptomatic patients (19.0% vs. 8.1%, p < 0.001). Among 57 close-contact individuals, 21 sequential local COVID-19 patients originated from a pre-symptomatic Wuhan returned couple, indicated dense gathering in congested spaces is a high risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings provided valuable details of pre-symptomatic patient mask-wearing and restriction of mass gathering in congested spaces particularly, are important interventions to mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
| S-EPMC7311905 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveAt the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCW) in our ED were advised against and actively discouraged from wearing masks when not seeing respiratory patients, as mask wearing was thought to increase the risk of droplet transmission by face touching. The primary objective of the present study was to determine whether HCW using face masks were more or less likely to touch their faces than those not wearing masks.MethodsWe analysed six randomly selected hours of closed circuit television footage from our staff base. Face touches were recorded electronically by trained researchers. Generalised linear mixed models were used to compare the frequency and duration of face touches with and without face masks, controlling for individual clusters, adjusting for time of footage, duration on screen and staff role.ResultsData were collected from 187 HCW. Masks were worn in 231 (36%) of 642 screen sessions. Wearing a mask did not significantly change the odds of face touching (odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-1.01, P = 0.055) or duration of face touch (mean difference -1.45 s, 95% CI -8.84, 5.99, P = 0.71). For mucosal areas, a significant reduction in the odds of face touching was observed for mask wearers (odds ratio 0.21, 95% CI 0.11-0.43, P < 0.001) and on the frequency of mucosal touches (rate ratio 0.45, 95% CI 0.29-0.69, P < 0.001).ConclusionsMask wearing did not change face touching or the duration of face touches. However, significantly fewer mucosal touches were observed when wearing a mask, which may help to reduce nosocomial droplet transmission of viruses.
| S-EPMC10087437 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human behavior can have effects on oneself and externalities on others. Mask wearing is such a behavior in the current pandemic. What motivates people to wear face masks in public when mask wearing is voluntary or not enforced? Which benefits should the policy makers rather emphasize in information campaigns-the reduced chances of getting the SARS-CoV-2 virus (benefits for oneself) or the reduced chances of transmitting the virus (benefits for others in the society)? In this paper, we link measured risk preferences and other-regarding preferences to mask wearing habits among 840 surveyed employees of two large Swiss hospitals. We find that the leading mask-wearing motivations change with age: While for older people, mask wearing habits are best explained by their self-regarding risk preferences, younger people are also motivated by other-regarding concerns. Our results are robust to different specifications including linear probability models, probit models and Lasso covariate selection models. Our findings thus allow drawing policy implications for effectively communicating public-health recommendations to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC8289104 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Popular press outlets have proposed that older individuals are less likely to wear face masks despite health benefits of doing so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current article investigates this notion in four separate studies, and we also assess the mediating effect of face mask perceptions between age and face mask wearing using the eight-dimension Face Masks Perceptions Scale (FMPS). The sample-size weighted average correlation between age and face mask wearing was -.07 (95%C.I.[-.14, .001], Z-value = -1.928, P = .054, n = 824), indicating that older individuals are slightly less likely to wear face masks compared to younger individuals. Age did not have significant relations with any face mask perceptions, and the mediating effect of face mask perceptions was not robust or consistent. This indicates that the relation between age and face mask wearing is not explained by face mask perceptions, and researchers must turn to other explanatory mechanisms to understand this relation. We propose possible avenues, such as dual-system theories, to further investigate this research question as well as others associated with face mask perceptions, face mask wearing and the COVID-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC7928787 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFace masks have become commonplace across the USA because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic. Although evidence suggests that masks help to curb the spread of the disease, there is little empirical research at the population level. We investigate the association between self-reported mask-wearing, physical distancing, and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the USA, along with the effect of statewide mandates on mask uptake.MethodsSerial cross-sectional surveys were administered via a web platform to randomly surveyed US individuals aged 13 years and older, to query self-reports of face mask-wearing. Survey responses were combined with instantaneous reproductive number (Rt) estimates from two publicly available sources, the outcome of interest. Measures of physical distancing, community demographics, and other potential sources of confounding (from publicly available sources) were also assessed. We fitted multivariate logistic regression models to estimate the association between mask-wearing and community transmission control (Rt<1). Additionally, mask-wearing in 12 states was evaluated 2 weeks before and after statewide mandates.Findings378 207 individuals responded to the survey between June 3 and July 27, 2020, of which 4186 were excluded for missing data. We observed an increasing trend in reported mask usage across the USA, although uptake varied by geography. A logistic model controlling for physical distancing, population demographics, and other variables found that a 10% increase in self-reported mask-wearing was associated with an increased odds of transmission control (odds ratio 3·53, 95% CI 2·03-6·43). We found that communities with high reported mask-wearing and physical distancing had the highest predicted probability of transmission control. Segmented regression analysis of reported mask-wearing showed no statistically significant change in the slope after mandates were introduced; however, the upward trend in reported mask-wearing was preserved.InterpretationThe widespread reported use of face masks combined with physical distancing increases the odds of SARS-CoV-2 transmission control. Self-reported mask-wearing increased separately from government mask mandates, suggesting that supplemental public health interventions are needed to maximise adoption and help to curb the ongoing epidemic.FundingFlu Lab, Google.org (via the Tides Foundation), National Institutes for Health, National Science Foundation, Morris-Singer Foundation, MOOD, Branco Weiss Fellowship, Ending Pandemics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA).
| S-EPMC7817421 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Behavioral responses influence the trajectories of epidemics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) reduced pathogen transmission and mortality worldwide. However, despite the global pandemic threat, there was substantial cross-country variation in the adoption of protective behaviors that is not explained by disease prevalence alone. In particular, many countries show a pattern of slow initial mask adoption followed by sharp transitions to high acceptance rates. These patterns are characteristic of behaviors that depend on social norms or peer influence. We develop a game-theoretic model of mask wearing where the utility of wearing a mask depends on the perceived risk of infection, social norms, and mandates from formal institutions. In this model, increasing pathogen transmission or policy stringency can trigger social tipping points in collective mask wearing. We show that complex social dynamics can emerge from simple individual interactions and that sociocultural variables and local policies are important for recovering cross-country variation in the speed and breadth of mask adoption. These results have implications for public health policy and data collection.
| S-EPMC9565043 | biostudies-literature