Thread by @jcjames_ca

Masks for prevention of viral respiratory infections among health care workers and the public

PEER umbrella systematic review / July 2020

cfp.ca/content/66/7/5…

@sebrushworth @naomirwolf @WENDLINGJeanMi1

"This systematic review found limited evidence that the use of masks might reduce the risk of viral respiratory infections. In the community setting, a possible reduced risk of influenza like illness was found among mask users.

In health care workers, the results show no difference between N95 masks and surgical masks on the risk of confirmed influenza or other confirmed viral respiratory infections,

although possible benefits from N95 masks were found for preventing influenza like illness or other clinical respiratory infections. Surgical masks might be superior to cloth masks but data are limited to 1 trial"

Seems to me the consensus is pretty clear on the question of face masks...

Still think that Face Shields for workers in certain fields are essential in many ways for futur viral epidemics.
We need more similar comparative studies on those.