Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33363081›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2020

Effect of Face Masks on Interpersonal Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Nour Mheidly, Mohamad Y Fares, Hussein Zalzale, Jawad Fares

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 79 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
79citing papers in PubMed
–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

79 citing papers in PubMed.

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  4. Investigating parental perspectives of the enablers and barriers to communication with their preterm infants: A narrative study.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community · 2026
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  9. Understanding discourse in face-to-face settings: The impact of multimodal cues and listening conditions.Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition · 2025
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  17. Pattern and Perception of Impact of Wearing Face Masks on Communication Among Health Care Workers During COVID-19 pandemic: An Observational Study.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2024
    Article
  18. Best practices for communication while wearing facemasks: A scoping review.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing · 2024
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  19. Article
  20. Article

19 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

4 authors.

Nour MheidlyDepartment of Communication and Journalism, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Mohamad Y FaresFaculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Hussein ZalzaleFaculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Jawad FaresDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Interpersonal communication has been severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protective measures, such as social distancing and face masks, are essential to mitigate efforts against the virus, but pose challenges on daily face-to-face communication. Face masks, particularly, muffle sounds and cover facial expressions that ease comprehension during live communication. Here, we explore the role of facial expressions in communication and we highlight how the face mask can hinder interpersonal connection. In addition, we offer coping strategies and skills that can ease communication with face masks as we navigate the current and any future pandemic.

Indexed as

CommunicationCOVID-19MasksHumansPersonal Protective Equipmentcommunicationcoronaviruspandemicpandemic (COVID-19)SARS-CoV-2social distancing

Identifiers

PMID33363081
PMCPMC7755855

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.