MedPageToday has published an interesting article that looks at the evidence of whether surgical masks, as well as tight seal respirators, such as N95, provide any protection to healthcare workers or patients. So what’s the article’s findings? The evidence that masks provide any meaningful respiratory shield is indeed quite slim, even for the operating room environment. Hence the conclusion:
“Masks and respirators should be considered the ‘last line of defense’ in a hierarchy of infection control measures.”
Full story: Unmasking the Surgical Mask: Does It Really Work?…
Image credit Eneas @ Flickr…