ReviewMaterials (Basel, Switzerland)2020
Face Masks and Respirators in the Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of Current Materials, Advances and Future Perspectives.
Review in Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 90 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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
90 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 260 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of fit improvement strategies for respirators: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- A Review of Filtration Performance of Protective Masks.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Controllable Preparation and Filtration Performance of New Composite Materials for Mining Masks.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nanotechnology in COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, and treatment: a comprehensive review.Discover nano · 2025Review
- Hybrid Mortar Composites Incorporating Oyster Shell Filler and Recycled Fibers from Disposable Masks.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Effects of N95 Masks on Sinonasal Symptoms and Opinions of Healthcare Workers in Singapore.Cureus · 2025Article
- Do We Need Titanium Dioxide (TiOToxics · 2025Review
- Article
- Impact of ultraviolet radiation on filtering facepiece respirators and SARS-CoV-2 detection.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Mechanical Behavior of Masonry Mortars Reinforced with Disposable Face Mask Strips.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Evaluation of the penetration capacity of bacteria through layers of different face mask types and wearing conditions.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- Reuse of N95/PFF2 masks in clinical practice: morphological and structural analysis.Revista latino-americana de enfermagem · 2024Article
- Survey of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding personal protection against COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Upscaling of Electrospinning Technology and the Application of Functionalized PVDF-HFP@TiOPolymers · 2023Article
- Diagnostic performance of respirators for collection and detection of SARS-CoV-2.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Impact of disposable mask microplastics pollution on the aquatic environment and microalgae growth.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2023Article
- Electrospun nanofibers for medical face mask with protection capabilities against viruses: State of the art and perspective for industrial scale-up.Applied materials today · 2023Review
- How do three-layer surgical masks prevent SARS-CoV-2 aerosol transmission?Separation and purification technology · 2023Article
30 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread rapidly across the globe, greatly affecting how humans as a whole interact, work and go about their daily life. One of the key pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is being utilised to return to the norm is the face mask or respirator. In this review we aim to examine face masks and respirators, looking at the current materials in use and possible future innovations that will enhance their protection against SARS-CoV-2. Previous studies concluded that cotton, natural silk and chiffon could provide above 50% efficiency. In addition, it was found that cotton quilt with a highly tangled fibrous nature provides efficient filtration in the small particle size range. Novel designs by employing various filter materials such as nanofibres, silver nanoparticles, and nano-webs on the filter surfaces to induce antimicrobial properties are also discussed in detail. Modification of N95/N99 masks to provide additional filtration of air and to deactivate the pathogens using various technologies such as low- temperature plasma is reviewed. Legislative guidelines for selecting and wearing facial protection are also discussed. The feasibility of reusing these masks will be examined as well as a discussion on the modelling of mask use and the impact wearing them can have. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models and its applications to minimise or prevent the spread of the virus using face masks and respirators is also addressed. It is concluded that a significant amount of research is required for the development of highly efficient, reusable, anti-viral and thermally regulated face masks and respirators.
Indexed as
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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.