ArticleBMJ open2020
Mask shortage during epidemics and pandemics: a scoping review of interventions to overcome limited supply.
Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Reusable respirators as personal protective equipment in clinical practice : User experience in times of a pandemic.Wiener klinische Wochenschrift · 2022Trial
- Nursing perception and practices in N95 mask reuse in intensive care: a cross-sectional study.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2026Article
- COVID-19: did the masks work?Future microbiology · 2024Article
- Evidence review of physical distancing and partition screens to reduce healthcare acquired SARS-CoV-2.Infection prevention in practice · 2021Review
- Analysis of Taiwan's Mask Collection and Plan Evasion during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Mask shortage during epidemics and pandemics: a scoping review of interventions to overcome limited supply.BMJ open · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo characterise published evidence regarding preclinical and clinical interventions to overcome mask shortages during epidemics and pandemics.
designSystematic scoping review. SETTINGS: All healthcare settings relevant to epidemics and pandemics. SEARCH STRATEGY: English peer-reviewed studies published from January 1995 to June 2020 were included. Literature was identified using four databases (Medline-OVID, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library), forwards-and-backwards searching through Scopus and an extensive grey literature search. Assessment of study eligibility, data extraction and evidence appraisal were performed in duplicate by two independent reviewers.
resultsOf the 11 220 database citations, a total of 47 articles were included. These studies encompassed six broad categories of conservation strategies: decontamination, reusability of disposable masks and/or extended wear, layering, reusable respirators, non-traditional replacements or modifications and stockpiled masks. Promising strategies for mask conservation in the context of pandemics and epidemics include use of stockpiled masks, extended wear of disposable masks and decontamination.
conclusionThere are promising strategies for overcoming face mask shortages during epidemics and pandemics. Further research specific to practical considerations is required before implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.