The German government has made it mandatory to utilize respiratory masks covering mouth and nose (MNC) as an effective process to fight SARS-CoV-2 infections. In many countries, this directive has been extended on shopping malls or public transit. The aim of this paper is to critically analyze the statutory regulation to put on protective masks through the COVID-19 crisis from a medical standpoint.
We performed a thorough query of the most recent publications addressing the prevention of viral infections like the usage of face masks locally being a method to avoid the spread of the infection. We addressed the problems of practicability, professional use, and acceptability depending on the community as well as the environment where the user resided.
A rapid review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. Five electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO and Global Health) were searched from database inception up to now, using pre-defined search terms. We included all studies from a design and used descriptive analysis to report summary statistics of search results. Data were extracted including sample characteristics, study design, respiratory virus being controlled, kind of face Custom Mask used and their effectiveness.
Conclusion
The CDC has learned that asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals may be highly contagious and spread the illness when “interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if the individuals are certainly not exhibiting symptoms.”[1] Face coverings may capture droplets and minimize some exposures towards the virus.[2] Accordingly, the CDC “advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people that may have the herpes simplex virus and do not comprehend it from transmitting it to others.”[3] Further, the CDC “recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public areas settings where other social distancing measures take time and effort to keep (e.g., grocers and pharmacies) particularly in aspects of significant community-based transmission.