SynthesisDeutsches Arzteblatt international2021
Protection From COVID-19–The Efficacy of Face Masks.
Synthesis in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 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
22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of cloth face masks to prevent viral spread: a meta-analysis.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2024Pooled it
- [Impact of wearing face masks in public to prevent infectious diseases on the psychosocial development in children and adolescents: a systematic review].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2021Pooled it
- Face mask littering: environmental impacts, regulatory challenges, and AI-driven waste management strategies for the postpandemic era.Turkish journal of medical sciences · 2026Review
- Bacterial contamination potential of personal protective equipment itself in dental aerosol-producing treatments.Odontology · 2024Review
- Changes in children's cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic: a 34-month longitudinal study of 331 primary school children.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2024Article
- Characteristics associated with attitudes and behaviors towards mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Trojan Pandemic Response Initiative.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Perceived Effectiveness of COVID-19 Preventive Practices and Behavioral Intention: Survey of a Representative Adult Sample in the United States.JMIR human factors · 2023Article
- Medical Students' and Radiology Technician Trainees' eHealth Literacy and Hygiene Awareness-Asynchronous and Synchronous Digital Hand Hygiene Training in a Single-Center Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Investigating the effect of multimedia education based on the health belief model in preventing COVID-19 in pregnant women.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Does Prolonged FFP2 Mask Use Cause Changes in Nasal Cytology? A Pilot Observational Study on Healthcare Workers.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- The Difference in Electromyographic Activity While Wearing a Medical Mask in Women with and without Temporomandibular Disorders.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Effects of Wearing FFP2 Masks on SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rates in Classrooms.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Compliance with Barrier Gestures during COVID-19 Pandemic as a Function of the Context: A Longitudinal Observational Survey at the University of Liège.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Observational
- How Middle and High School Students Wear Their Face Masks in Classrooms and School Buildings.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Advances in the Prophylaxis of Respiratory Infections by the Nasal and the Oromucosal Route: Relevance to the Fight with the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.Pharmaceutics · 2022Review
- Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Test Positivity in NCAA Division I Student Athletes vs Nonathletes at 12 Institutions.JAMA network open · 2022Article
- Face mask uptake in the absence of mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study with Swiss residents.BMC public health · 2021Article
- [COVID-19 outbreak investigation in a geriatric palliative hospital].Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie · 2021Article
- Estimating the impact of control measures to prevent outbreaks of COVID-19 associated with air travel into a COVID-19-free country.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Sensitivity analysis of SARS-CoV-2 aerosol exposure.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSince the beginning of 2020 the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread to nearly every country in the world. The mainly airborne pathogen has led to large numbers of deaths, principally in elderly and vulnerable segments of the population. Protective vaccines have recently become available, but it is not yet clear whether and when population-wide immunity will be achieved. The existence of evidence for the protective effect of masks covering the mouth and nose is a topic of public debate.
methodsA selective literature search was carried out in PubMed. Data from the German Robert Koch Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were also taken into account.
resultsWhen talking, as many as 20 000 droplets ranging in size from 20 to 500 μM are released every second. According to PCR tests, the amount of virus exhaled is highest immediately before the onset of symptoms. No randomized trials have been conducted on the effect of masks covering the mouth and nose. A metaanalysis of 29 studies on infection with SARS-CoV-2, SARS, or MERS revealed that type N-95 masks (corresponding approximately to FFP-2), surgical masks, or similar multilayer cotton masks can greatly reduce the infection risk for the wearers (RR 0.34 [0.26; 0.45], with moderate heterogeneity [I2 = 48%]). Model experiments and case reports suggest that masks covering the mouth and nose afford considerable protection against transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other airborne diseases by reducing release of and exposure to potentially infectious droplets; in addition, infections that do occur take a milder course. A limitation of the studies analyzed is that in most cases, this effect cannot be viewed in isolation from the protective impact of other measures (distancing, hygiene precautions).
conclusionIt can plausibly be assumed that consistent use of masks covering the mouth and nose can play an important role in containing the spread of SARSCoV- 2.
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.