Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32512240›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of nursing studies2020

A rapid systematic review of the efficacy of face masks and respirators against coronaviruses and other respiratory transmissible viruses for the community, healthcare workers and sick patients.

C Raina MacIntyre, Abrar Ahmad Chughtai

Open access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of nursing studies, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 140 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
140citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
38.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

140 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 330 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce influenza transmission in households: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2025
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  3. Prevalence of Burnout among Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Pooled it
  4. A Review of Filtration Performance of Protective Masks.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
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80 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

C Raina MacIntyreThe Kirby Institute, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: r.macintyre@unsw.edu.au.
Abrar Ahmad ChughtaiSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Room 228, Level 2 Samuels Building, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: abrar.chughtai@unsw.edu.au.
UNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe pandemic of COVID-19 is growing, and a shortage of masks and respirators has been reported globally. Policies of health organizations for healthcare workers are inconsistent, with a change in policy in the US for universal face mask use. The aim of this study was to review the evidence around the efficacy of masks and respirators for healthcare workers, sick patients and the general public.

methodsA systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials on use of respiratory protection by healthcare workers, sick patients and community members was conducted. Articles were searched on Medline and Embase using key search terms.

resultsA total of 19 randomised controlled trials were included in this study - 8 in community settings, 6 in healthcare settings and 5 as source control. Most of these randomised controlled trials used different interventions and outcome measures. In the community, masks appeared to be effective with and without hand hygiene, and both together are more protective. Randomised controlled trials in health care workers showed that respirators, if worn continually during a shift, were effective but not if worn intermittently. Medical masks were not effective, and cloth masks even less effective. When used by sick patients randomised controlled trials suggested protection of well contacts.

conclusionThe study suggests that community mask use by well people could be beneficial, particularly for COVID-19, where transmission may be pre-symptomatic. The studies of masks as source control also suggest a benefit, and may be important during the COVID-19 pandemic in universal community face mask use as well as in health care settings. Trials in healthcare workers support the use of respirators continuously during a shift. This may prevent health worker infections and deaths from COVID-19, as aerosolisation in the hospital setting has been documented.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelMasksPatientsRespiratory Protective DevicesBetacoronavirusCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19HumansInfection ControlOccupational DiseasesPandemicsPneumonia, ViralRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSARS-CoV-2CoronavirusCoronavirus diseaseCOVID19MaskPersonal protective equipmentRespirators

Identifiers

PMID32512240
PMCPMC7191274
OpenAlexW3022209591

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.