Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic

Common card · No. 261961

During the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks or coverings, including N95, FFP2, surgical, and cloth masks, were used as public and personal health control measures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In community and healthcare settings, the use of face masks was intended as source control to limit transmission of the virus and for personal protection to prevent infection. When properly worn, face masks can limit the respiratory droplets and aerosols that are spread by infected individuals, helping protect healthy individuals from infection. Scientific studies concluded that the use of face masks was effective in protecting the individual using them against COVID-19. Various case-control and population-based studies also showed that the increased use of masks in a community reduced the spread of SARS-CoV-2, although there was a scarcity of evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Masks varied in their effectiveness. Fitted N95s outperform surgical masks...

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