Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27044522›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases2016

Uptake and effectiveness of facemask against respiratory infections at mass gatherings: a systematic review.

Osamah Barasheed, Mohammad Alfelali, Sami Mushta, Hamid Bokhary, Jassir Alshehri, Ammar A Attar, Robert Booy, Harunor Rashid

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The use of masks to protect against respiratory infections: An umbrella review.Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed.) · 2021
    Pooled it
  3. A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review of the Impacts of Coronavirus on Society and Culture.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. The Effect of Wearing an N95 Face Mask on Intraocular Pressure.Journal of ophthalmic & vision research · 2025
    Article
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  8. Article
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  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
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  15. Article
  16. Review
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  19. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Osamah BarasheedResearch Center, King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, P.O. Box: 57657, Saudi Arabia; National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: barasheed.o@kamc.med.sa.
Mohammad AlfelaliNational Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW, Australia; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.
Sami MushtaMinistry of Health, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Hamid BokharyUmm Al-Qura University Medical Center, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Jassir AlshehriResearch Center, King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, P.O. Box: 57657, Saudi Arabia.
Ammar A AttarDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Science and technology Unit, General Presidency for the Holy Mosque & Prophet Holy Mosque affairs, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Innovation & Corporate Integration, King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Robert BooyNational Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Australia.
Harunor RashidNational Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe risk of acquisition and transmission of respiratory infections is high among attendees of mass gatherings (MGs). Currently used interventions have limitations yet the role of facemask in preventing those infections at MG has not been systematically reviewed. We have conducted a systematic review to synthesise evidence about the uptake and effectiveness of facemask against respiratory infections in MGs.

methodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using major electronic databases such as, Medline, EMBASE, SCOPUS and CINAHL.

resultsOf 25 studies included, the pooled sample size was 12710 participants from 55 countries aged 11 to 89 years, 37% were female. The overall uptake of facemask ranged from 0.02% to 92.8% with an average of about 50%. Only 13 studies examined the effectiveness of facemask, and their pooled estimate revealed significant protectiveness against respiratory infections (relative risk [RR]=0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.94, p<0.01), but the study end points varied widely.

conclusionA modest proportion of attendees of MGs use facemask, the practice is more widespread among health care workers. Facemask use seems to be beneficial against certain respiratory infections at MGs but its effectiveness against specific infection remains unproven.

Indexed as

Respiratory Protective DevicesCrowdingHolidaysHumansMasksRespiratory Tract InfectionsRisk FactorsFacemaskHajjInfluenza-like illnessMass gatheringPilgrimRespiratory infections

Identifiers

PMID27044522
PMCPMC7110449

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.