Browsing by Subject "Masks"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    COVID-19 and the Conundrum of Mask Requirements
    (Washington and Lee University School of Law, 2020-05-28) Gatter, Robert; Mohapatra, Seema; Robert H. McKinney School of Law
    As states begin to loosen their COVID-19 restrictions, public debate is underway about what public health measures are appropriate. Many states have some form of mask-wearing orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection. Public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization has conflicted. From a public health point of view, it is not clear what the right answer is. In the absence of directives, individuals are also making their own choices about mask use. At a time when public health measures, like shelter-in-place orders and social distancing, are being used to stop the spread of coronavirus, wearing masks can be seen as a form of solidarity and desire to not infect others. Similarly, not wearing a mask can also be a political statement of sorts. Additionally, black men wearing masks have reported being asked to leave stores and fearing for their own safety. This essay provides an overview of the legal and policy landscape and focuses on the potential for policing against African Americans when mask mandates are in place. Despite the public health benefits of mask usage, due to mask mandates likely being enforced discriminatorily, we advise caution against mask mandates.
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    COVID-19: How Do We Stay Safe?
    (American Thoracic Society, 2020-07-10) Carlos, W. Graham; Dela Cruz, Charles S.; Cao, Bin; Gross, Jane E.; Pasnick, Susan; Jamil, Shazia; Medicine, School of Medicine
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    The Great Gender Divide: Gender-related discrepancies of N95 mask protection
    (2020-09) Christopher, Laura E.; Rohr-Kirchgraber, Theresa M.; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals are at increased risk of transmission due to their direct contact with infected patients. To ensure protection, properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn. N95 respirator masks are a component of PPE outlined by the CDC for COVID-19; however, N95 masks do not offer protection if they do not fit properly. Fit testing is performed to ensure adequate seal of the mask and proper fit. Objective: The objective of this project was to attempt to identify a gender-related difference in fittesting failure rates. Methods: A single institutional retrospective review was performed on individuals who underwent fit testing from December 2019 to June 2020. Two mask sizes were available for fit testing (Model 3M1860, Regular/Small). Fit test results were divided into two groups, male or female, and evaluated for failure rates. Reasons for fit test failures were noted as: large-boned, small-boned, facial asymmetry, facial hair, and/or no reason reported. Exclusion criterion included failure due to facial hair. Results: A total of 336 tests were performed during this period, with 31 exclusions for facial hair. Data analyzed included 305 total respirator fit test results: 110 male and 195 female. Females fail at signifcantly higher rates, 6.67%, compared to males, 2.27% (p=0.001). Specifcally, females failed due to being small-boned when compared to reasons for male fit testing failures (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Gender-related differences in PPE fit is not new; however, the COVID- 19 pandemic has made the situation more acute. Females are faced with wearing masks that do not properly fit; N95 masks were not designed for female facial dimensions and because of inadequate fit, female healthcare workers are not properly protected. Developing a gender-specifc approach to designing N95 masks is vital in the upcoming months, as a potential second wave of COVID-19 is approaching.
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    Mask-Wearing Behavior at the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
    (American Medical Association, 2021) Vest, Joshua R.; Blackburn, Justin; Cash-Goldwasser, Shama; Peters Bergquist, Eleanor; Embi, Peter J.; Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health
    This cross-sectional study examines the mask-wearing behavior of attendees at the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament in an attempt to help other venues prepare for future events during the pandemic.
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    Public perceptions of the effectiveness of recommended non-pharmaceutical intervention behaviors to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2
    (Public Library of Science (PLOS), 2020-11-04) Kasting, Monica L.; Head, Katharine J.; Hartsock, Jane A.; Sturm, Lynne; Zimet, Gregory D.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health threat, both in scope and response. With no vaccine available, the public is advised to practice non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) including social distancing, mask-wearing, and washing hands. However, little is known about public perceptions of the effectiveness of these measures, and high perceived effectiveness is likely to be critical in order to achieve widespread adoption of NPI. Methods: In May 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among U.S. adults (N = 3,474). The primary outcome was a six-item measure assessing perceived effectiveness of recommended behaviors to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection from 1 (not at all effective) to 5 (extremely effective). The sample was divided into "higher" and "lower" perceived effectiveness groups. Covariates included demographics, healthcare characteristics, and health beliefs. Variables that were significant at p<0.01 in bivariate analyses were entered into a multivariable logistic regression and a best-fit model was created using a cutoff of p<0.01 to stay in the model. Results: Mean age was 45.5 years and most participants were non-Hispanic White (63%) and female (52.4%). The high perceived effectiveness group was slightly larger than the low perceived effectiveness group (52.7% vs. 47.3%). Almost all health belief variables were significant in the best-fit regression model. COVID-19-related worry (aOR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.64-2.02), and perceived threat to physical health (aOR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.20-1.45) were positively associated with perceived effectiveness while perceived severity of COVID-19 (0.84; 95% CI = 0.73-0.96) and perceived likelihood of infection (0.85; 95% CI = 0.77-0.94) switched directions in the adjusted model and were negatively associated with perceived effectiveness. Conclusions: This research indicates people generally believe NPI are effective, but there was variability based on health beliefs and there are mixed rates of engagement in these behaviors. Public health efforts should focus on increasing perceived severity and threat of SARS-CoV-2-related disease, while promoting NPI as effective in reducing threat.