ArticleJournal of Korean medical science2021
Fit Test for N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators and KF94 Masks for Healthcare Workers: a Prospective Single-center Simulation Study.
Article in Journal of Korean medical science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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
7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of fit improvement strategies for respirators: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- N95 filtering facepiece respirator fit assessment outcomes by gender, age, race, and facial hair in a community population sample.Annals of work exposures and health · 2026Article
- Evaluating the fit and performance of flat-fold, cup, and three-panel respirators among Thai healthcare personnel.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- The Ultra fit community mask-Toward maximal respiratory protection via personalized face fit.PloS one · 2023Article
- Silver Nanoparticles-Polyethyleneimine-Based Coatings with Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2: A New Method to Functionalize Filtration Media.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Reconstructing a COVID-19 outbreak within a religious group using social network analysis simulation in Korea.Epidemiology and health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFor protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Korean government recommended the KF94 mask or that a mask at the same level as the KF94 should be worn when contacting a patient with COVID-19. Furthermore, adequately fitted N95 respirators and KF94 masks are essential. We investigated the fit tests to determine whether healthcare workers had adequate protection with N95 respirators and KF94 masks.
methodsIn this prospective single-center simulation study, five N95 respirators (two made in the USA by 3M and three made in Korea) and six KF94 masks, the Korean standard medical masks, were tested. The fit factor (FF) and leakage rate were evaluated using a two-fit test device. Adequate protection (defined as FF ≥ 100 or leakage rate ≤ 5) rates were compared between N95 respirators and KF94 masks, and between made in Korea and the 3M N95 respirators. For KF94 masks, adequate protection rates were compared before and after ear strap fixation.
resultsOverall, 30 participants were enrolled, and 330 fit tests were performed for FF and leakage rate. Adequate protection rates of all tested N95 respirators and KF94 masks were 22.7% (n = 75) by FF and 20.6% (n = 68) by leakage rate. N95 respirators showed a significantly higher adequate protection rate than KF94 masks for FF (48.7% vs. 1.1%,
conclusionAlthough adequate protection rate of N95 respirators was higher than that of KF94 masks, N95 respirator protection rate was not optimum. Thus, it is necessary to minimize exposure to risk by selecting an appropriate mask or respirator that adequately fits each person, and by wearing respirators or masks appropriately, before contacting the patients. With their superior protection rate, wearing N95 respirators is recommended instead of KF94 masks, especially when performing aerosol-generating procedures.
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