Deaconess Health Systems/Hospitals provide guidance for making face masks (they will sterilize/reuse

[hlthe2b]

Last edited Fri Mar 20, 2020, 07:36 PM - Edit history (1)

Now, I am going to caution that there is at least one randomized study (link provided) that shows these can be extremely INEFFECTIVE in some settings, some uses, and for some pathogens. That said, there is no denying they are better than nothing for large droplet spread. But, inform yourself and remember taking them off improperly is a real risk for self-exposure. That said, the ones designed/made by Deaconess seem to be the most useful

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577


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Infectious diseases
Research
A cluster randomised trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers

C Raina MacIntyre1, Holly Seale1, Tham Chi Dung2, Nguyen Tran Hien2, Phan Thi Nga2, Abrar Ahmad Chughtai1, Bayzidur Rahman1, Dominic E Dwyer3, Quanyi Wang4

Author affiliations
Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of cloth masks to medical masks in hospital healthcare workers (HCWs). The null hypothesis is that there is no difference between medical masks and cloth masks.

Setting 14 secondary-level/tertiary-level hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Participants 1607 hospital HCWs aged ≥18 years working full-time in selected high-risk wards.

Intervention Hospital wards were randomised to: medical masks, cloth masks or a control group (usual practice, which included mask wearing). Participants used the mask on every shift for 4 consecutive weeks.

Main outcome measure Clinical respiratory illness (CRI), influenza-like illness (ILI) and laboratory-confirmed respiratory virus infection.

Results The rates of all infection outcomes were highest in the cloth mask arm, with the rate of ILI statistically significantly higher in the cloth mask arm (relative risk (RR)=13.00, 95% CI 1.69 to 100.07) compared with the medical mask arm. Cloth masks also had significantly higher rates of ILI compared with the control arm. An analysis by mask use showed ILI (RR=6.64, 95% CI 1.45 to 28.65) and laboratory-confirmed virus (RR=1.72, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.94) were significantly higher in the cloth masks group compared with the medical masks group. Penetration of cloth masks by particles was almost 97% and medical masks 44%.

Conclusions This study is the first RCT of cloth masks, and the results caution against the use of cloth masks. This is an important finding to inform occupational health and safety. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection. Further research is needed to inform the widespread use of cloth masks globally. However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for HCWs, particularly in high-risk situations, and guidelines need to be updated.

[duforsure]

1. Every Governor needs to get going

Making mask, gowns, hood shields, whatever they can , and temperature guns and oxygen finger sensors, and ventilators and check everyone working hourly by others preventing it spreading in their workplaces. Trumps worthless and trying to still everything now. Schools can be used, hotels near hospitals should be readied now. Even materials with instructions for making PPE in home getting supplied with drive by outlets and to return finished items with focus on all people who have to still work. Make new guidelines making everyone getting temperature checked , especially restaurants serving take out food and all food producers and delivery people . hourly with failure to do it they lose their job, or the business like restaurants are closed. Governors need to do this now, because trump won't , he's too lazy to do much of anything now.

[eleny]

2. If they can even use these when caring for other patients...

They can at least save the more appropriate masks for corona19 patients.

What they're asking for is very easy to make.