ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2012
Detection of infectious influenza virus in cough aerosols generated in a simulated patient examination room.
Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
85 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 176 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of personal protective equipment to prevent environmental infection of COVID-19 among healthcare workers: a systematic review.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic: what is the effectiveness of using personal protective equipment in health service environments?-a systematic review.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks in protecting health care workers from acute respiratory infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2016Pooled it
- Airborne transmission and precautions: facts and myths.The Journal of hospital infection · 2015Pooled it
- Respiratory Protection Effect of Ear-loop-type KF94 Masks according to the Wearing Method in COVID-19 Pandemic: a Randomized, Open-label Study.Journal of Korean medical science · 2021Trial
- Trial
- Aerosol transmission is an important mode of influenza A virus spread.Nature communications · 2013Trial
- Infection prevention and control adherence among SARS-CoV-2 infected healthcare workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: lessons for future outbreaks.Tropical medicine and health · 2026Article
- Spatial and temporal patterns of public transit aerobiomes.Microbiome · 2026Article
- Characterization of aerosols generated during suspected aerosol-generating procedures in healthcare settings.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2026Article
- Synergistic Inactivation of Airborne Viruses by Low-Concentration Ozone With High Humidity and Temperature.Microbiology and immunology · 2025Article
- Laboratory studies on the infectivity of human respiratory viruses: Experimental conditions, detections, and resistance to the atmospheric environment.Fundamental research · 2024Review
- Comparison of the inward leakage rate between N95 filtering facepiece respirators and modified surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2024Article
- Concentrating viable airborne pathogens using a virtual impactor with a compact water-based condensation air sampler.Aerosol science and technology : the journal of the American Association for Aerosol Research · 2024Article
- Effect of Surgical Masks and N95 Respirators on Anxiety.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2024Article
- Measuring the effects of respiratory protective equipment and other protectors in preventing the scattering of vocalization droplets.Industrial health · 2023Article
- Article
- Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019: Indications, Findings, and Safety.Gastroenterology clinics of North America · 2023Review
25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe potential for aerosol transmission of infectious influenza virus (ie, in healthcare facilities) is controversial. We constructed a simulated patient examination room that contained coughing and breathing manikins to determine whether coughed influenza was infectious and assessed the effectiveness of an N95 respirator and surgical mask in blocking transmission.
methodsNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health aerosol samplers collected size-fractionated aerosols for 60 minutes at the mouth of the breathing manikin, beside the mouth, and at 3 other locations in the room. Total recovered virus was quantitated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and infectivity was determined by the viral plaque assay and an enhanced infectivity assay.
resultsInfectious influenza was recovered in all aerosol fractions (5.0% in >4 μm aerodynamic diameter, 75.5% in 1-4 μm, and 19.5% in <1 μm; n = 5). Tightly sealing a mask to the face blocked entry of 94.5% of total virus and 94.8% of infectious virus (n = 3). A tightly sealed respirator blocked 99.8% of total virus and 99.6% of infectious virus (n = 3). A poorly fitted respirator blocked 64.5% of total virus and 66.5% of infectious virus (n = 3). A mask documented to be loosely fitting by a PortaCount fit tester, to simulate how masks are worn by healthcare workers, blocked entry of 68.5% of total virus and 56.6% of infectious virus (n = 2).
conclusionsThese results support a role for aerosol transmission and represent the first reported laboratory study of the efficacy of masks and respirators in blocking inhalation of influenza in aerosols. The results indicate that a poorly fitted respirator performs no better than a loosely fitting mask.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.