scholarly journals Face Mask Use and Physical Distancing before and after Mandatory Masking: Evidence from Public Waiting Lines

Author(s):  
Gyula Seres ◽  
Anna Helen Balleyer ◽  
Nicola Cerutti ◽  
Jana Friedrichsen ◽  
Müge Süer
2021 ◽  
Vol 192 ◽  
pp. 765-781
Author(s):  
Gyula Seres ◽  
Anna Balleyer ◽  
Nicola Cerutti ◽  
Jana Friedrichsen ◽  
Müge Süer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyula Seres ◽  
Anna Helen Balleyer ◽  
Nicola Cerutti ◽  
Jana Friedrichsen ◽  
Müge Süer

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e006803
Author(s):  
Zia Wadud ◽  
Sheikh Mokhlesur Rahman ◽  
Annesha Enam

IntroductionConcerns have been raised about the potential for risk compensation in the context of mask mandates for mitigating the spread of COVID-19. However, the debate about the presence or absence of risk compensation for universal mandatory mask-wearing rules—especially in the context of COVID-19—is not settled yet.MethodsMobility is used as a proxy for risky behaviour before and after the mask mandates. Two sets of regressions are estimated to decipher (any) risk-compensating effect of mask mandate in Bangladesh. These include: (1) intervention regression analysis of daily activities at six types of locations, using pre-mask-mandate and post-mandate data; and (2) multiple regression analysis of daily new COVID-19 cases on daily mobility (lagged) to establish mobility as a valid proxy.Results(1) Statistically, mobility increased at all five non-residential locations, while home stays decreased after the mask mandate was issued; (2) daily mobility had a statistically significant association on daily new cases (with around 10 days of lag). Both significances were calculated at 95% confidence level.ConclusionCommunity mobility had increased (and stay at home decreased) after the mandatory mask-wearing rule, and given mobility is associated with increases in new COVID-19 cases, there is evidence of risk compensation effect of the mask mandate—at least partially—in Bangladesh.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 00271-2019
Author(s):  
Anna R. Jackson ◽  
J.H. Hull ◽  
James G. Hopker ◽  
Hannah Fletcher ◽  
William Gowers ◽  
...  

Respiratory symptoms, including cough, are prevalent in individuals with asthma when exercising. This study investigates whether a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) face mask is effective in modulating exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and post-exercise cough in a cold, dry environment in individuals with asthma.Twenty-six participants diagnosed with asthma (20 males, 6 females) completed three cycling exercise challenges at 8°C and 24% relative humidity in a randomised order. Participants wore either an HME mask (MASK), sham mask (SHAM), or no mask (CONT). Following a 3-min warm-up, participants completed 6-min cycling at 80% peak power output. Before and after exercise, maximal flow-volume loops were recorded. Post-exercise cough was monitored with a Leicester Cough Monitor (LCM) for 24 h. Results were analysed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Friedman's tests and data were presented as the mean±sd or median (interquartile range (IQR)).Eleven participants failed to demonstrate EIB (i.e. >10% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s after exercise) and were removed from analysis. The percentage fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s following exercise in CONT was greater than MASK (MASK: −6% (7%), SHAM: −11% (11%), CONT: −13% (9%); p<0.01). No difference was found between exercise in cough count per hour over the 24-h monitoring period or the number of coughs in the first hour after exercise.HME masks can attenuate EIB when exercising in cold, dry environments. The SHAM mask may not have been entirely inert, demonstrating the challenges of running randomised control trials utilising control and sham conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madline Gund ◽  
Gabor Boros ◽  
Matthias Hannig ◽  
Sigrid Thieme-Ruffing ◽  
Barbara Gärtner ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Microbial contamination of dental professionals’ facial protective equipment and skin from aerosols and droplets generated during dental treatment has not been studied in all aspects so far. Our aim was therefore to investigate and compare treatment-related bacterial contamination of the forehead skin and surgical mask of dental practitioners. Methods We analyzed samples from 67 consecutive aerosol-producing conservative-preventive dental treatments. Sterile nylon swabs were used to collect samples from the forehead skin before and after performing treatment. Contact samples were obtained from the used surgical face masks. Samples were cultivated on agar under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Bacteria were classified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The frequency of detection of obligate and facultative oral bacteria, as well as an increase in bacterial abundance, were examined (bacterial scoring: 0: no growth on agar; 1: <102 colonies; 2: >102 colonies; 3: dense bacterial growth). Results Bacteria were detected in 95% of the skin swabs and 76% of mask samples. Median bacterial scores were 2 for the forehead skin samples before and after treatment, and 1 for samples obtained from masks. Obligate and facultative oral bacteria were more frequent (6% and 30%) in samples from forehead skin after treatment. Samples taken from the forehead skin after treatment showed increased scores for these bacteria (28%). Five percent of samples were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Obligate anaerobes were present in 3% of samples. Conclusions Although exposed during treatment, the forehead skin was significantly less contaminated with obligate oral bacteria than expected based on the surgical face mask findings. Forehead skin samples showed an increase in bacteria in the after treatment, which can be attributed to aerosol-producing procedures. We hypothesize that the forehead’s physiological skin flora may offer some protection against contamination with other microorganisms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 883-888
Author(s):  
Sofija Carceva Shalja ◽  
Sandra Atanasova

Developing Class III Malocclusion in most of the cases affects dentofacial appearance. The goal of this study is to investigate the changes in the facial appearances in treated patients withFace mask orthopedic treatment and untreated Class III patients. The sample consisted 49 patients (boys and girls),with average age of 9 years, who had a Class III Malocclusion with an anterior crossbite and a component of maxillary deficiency. 28 of them were treated with protraction Face mask- Delair mask (petit tipe), and the other 21 were presenting the control group consisted of untreated Class III Patients.In treated group pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric radiographs from 28 patients(15 males and 13 females) were analyzed and compared with the results of cephalometric analyzes in untreated group(observation period of 1 year). Results from these study showed forward displacement of maxilla(SNA p<0.05),increasing of maxillary length(Co-A p<0.05)correction of maxillary-mandibular relationship(ANB p<0.05) in treated group while in untreated groupvalues for the parameters in the upper jaw and inter jaw relationship before and after the observation period of 1 yearshowed no statistically significant changes pointing to the negative impact of incorrect skeletal terms in Class III growing patients.Based on our findings we can concluded that in Class III patients there is a big motivation for orthodontic treatment because their dentofacial appearance deviates from sociocultural norms.Therefore, an important objective of accepting maxillary protraction treatment in Class III malocclusion is providing nonsurgical alternative in the treatment and improving the physico-social wellbeing and appearance of the patients, especially during their teenage years.


1992 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 642-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Basner ◽  
J. Ringler ◽  
E. Garpestad ◽  
R. M. Schwartzstein ◽  
D. Sparrow ◽  
...  

Six healthy subjects (5 males and 1 female, 26–40 yr old) were studied during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep to assess the role of upper airway (UA) afferents in the arousal response to induced airway occlusion. Subjects wore an airtight face mask attached to a low-resistance one-way valve. A valve in the inspiratory circuit allowed instantaneous inspiratory airway occlusion and release; the expiratory circuit remained unoccluded at all times. Each subject was studied during two nights. On one night, occlusions were created during stable stage 2 NREM sleep before and after application of 4% lidocaine to the oral and nasal mucosa. On the other night, the protocol was duplicated with saline (“sham anesthesia”) rather than lidocaine. The order of nights was randomized. Occlusions were sustained until electroencephalographic arousal. Three to 12 occlusions were performed in each subject for each of the four parts of the protocol (pre- and post-lidocaine, pre- and post-saline). The auditory threshold for arousal (1,500-Hz tone beginning at 30 dB) was also tested before and after UA lidocaine. For the group, arousal time after UA anesthesia was prolonged compared with preanesthesia arousal time (P less than 0.001); arousal time after sham anesthesia did not significantly increase from before sham anesthesia (P = 0.9). The increase in arousal time with UA anesthesia was greater than the increase with sham anesthesia (P less than 0.001). The auditory arousal threshold did not increase after UA anesthesia. Inspiratory mask pressure, arterial O2 saturation of hemoglobin, and end-tidal PCO2 during occlusions were similar before and after UA anesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioana D. BADIU TIŞA ◽  
Sorana BOLBOACĂ ◽  
Nicolae MIU ◽  
Daniela IACOB

Premises: Acute respiratory failure caused by respiratory diseases, which is a frequent pathology in infants and young children, requires oxygen therapy, which can be administered by different devices. Objectives: To evaluate the efficiency of two devices for oxygen administration by determining a clinical appraisal score for acute respiratory failure in infants and young children by oxygen therapy using simple face masks and nasal cannulas. Material and methods: 74 children, aged between one month and 3 years were included in our study. Oxygen therapy was administered by face mask to 38 patients, and by nasal cannula to 36 patients. A clinical appraisal score of respiratory failure was calculated both before and after oxygen therapy. Oxygen saturation was measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) and arterial or capillary blood gas (SaO2) before, and 30 minutes and 60 minutes after the initiation of oxygen therapy. Results: We found an improvement in the clinical score regardless of the method of administration; this improvement was more obvious at 60 minutes than at the 30 min evaluation (p


2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110113
Author(s):  
Danilo Euclides Fernandes ◽  
Michelle T. P. Riguetti ◽  
Gianna Mastroianni Kirsztajn

Purpose: To describe Brazilians’ behavior regarding face mask use and health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic before and after the Ministry of Health of Brazil formal recommendation. Design: Cross-sectional surveys using a web-based questionnaire. Participants were recruited via snowball techniques. Setting: São Paulo state, the urban epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil at the time of the study. Participants: 2.203 clicks to the survey link and 1.223 surveys completed (55.5% response rate). However, only 1118 surveys were considered after the exclusion criteria (>18 years-old and consent). Measures: Demographics, educational status, COVID-19-related symptoms (headache, cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea, fever, asthenia, diarrhea, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, anosmia, and ageusia), and face mask use. Analysis: Self-reports of COVID-19 symptoms were categorized as dichotomous variables (Cohen’s h = 0.94). Pearson Chi-square test evaluated differences between T1 and T2 and logistic multiple regression analyzed odds-ratio for the presence of symptoms and independent variables. Results: Face mask use increased from 43.60% in T1 to 90.52% in T2 ( P < .0001) as the pandemic went on. Health literacy also changed within 2 weeks and people started to assume everybody should use face masks (62.93% in T1 vs 94.12% in T2; P < .0001; ES = 0.29) during outside activities (43.60% in T1 vs 90.52% in T2; P < .0001; ES = 0.39). Self-reports of face mask use were associated with fewer self-reports of COVID-19 symptoms (OR = 0.65, P = .01, 95% CI 0.48; 0.88). Conclusion: Face mask use was already high among educated Brazilians before the formal recommendation by the authorities. This may have contributed to fewer self-reports of COVID-19-related symptoms.


Author(s):  
Antonio Scarano ◽  
Francesco Inchingolo ◽  
Biagio Rapone ◽  
Felice Festa ◽  
Sergio Rexhep Tari ◽  
...  

Background: Safety in medical work requires eye protection, such as glasses, and protective facial masks (PFM) during clinical practice to prevent viral respiratory infections. The use of facial masks and other full personal protective equipment increases air flow resistance, facial skin temperature and physical discomfort. The aim of the present study was to measure surgeons’ oxygenation status and discomfort before and after their daily routine activities of oral interventions. Methods: 10 male voluntary dentists, specializing in oral surgery, and 10 male voluntary doctors in dentistry, participating in master’s courses in oral surgery in the Department of Oral Surgery of the University of Chieti, with mean age 29 ± 6 (27–35), were enrolled. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of wearing a PFM on oxygenation status while the oral surgeons were actively working. Disposable sterile one-way surgical paper masks (Surgical Face Mask, Euronda, Italy) and FFP2 (Surgical Face Mask, Euronda, Italy) were used and the mask position covering the nose did not vary during the procedures. The FFP2 was covered by a surgical mask during surgical treatment. A pulse oximeter was used to measure the blood oximetry saturation during the study. Results: In all 20 surgeons wearing FFP2 covered by surgical masks, a reduction in arterial O2 saturation from around 97.5% before surgery to 94% after surgery was recorded with increase of heart rates. A shortness of breath and light-headedness/headaches were also noted. Conclusions: In conclusion, wearing an FFP2 covered by a surgical mask induces a reduction in circulating O2 concentrations without clinical relevance, while an increase of heart frequency and a sensation of shortness of breath, light-headedness/headaches were recorded.


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