Effectiveness of cloth face masks to prevent viral spread: A meta-analysis

Autor(en)

Elisabeth Lucia Zeilinger, Nadine Brunevskaya, Jana Wurzer, Sandra Oberleiter, Jonathan Fries, Amelie Fuchs, Alma Herscovici, Lea Kum, Eva Katharina Masel, Jakob Pietschnig

Abstrakt

Background The effectiveness of cloth face masks to prevent viral spread has not yet been conclusively established. In this meta-analysis, we evaluate their effectiveness in comparison to standard medical/surgical and N95-typed masks against viral spread. Methods We identified literature through a systematic search in three databases and meta-analytically synthesized relevant studies by means of random-effects as well as multilevel modelling. Results Twelve studies comprising k = 28 effect sizes (N = 338) were included. Medical/surgical and N95-typed masks outperformed cloth masks, yielding a large effect (g = 1.40). This effect remained robust when data were grouped according to comparisons with medical/surgical masks (g = 1.25) and N95-typed masks (g = 1.29). However, effects were differentiated according to mask fit, indicating reversals of signs when cloth mask effects were compared with ill-fitting medical/surgical and N95-typed masks (gs = −12.50 and − 10.90, respectively). Conclusions Cloth face masks were found to have significantly poorer filtering performance than medical/surgical masks and N95 masks, but only if non-cloth masks were properly fitted. Our results illustrate the necessity of using well-fitting medical/surgical or N95-typed masks to prevent viral spread, although some allowance should be made in circumstances where higher compliance with cloth mask mandates are expected.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie, Institut für Psychologie der Entwicklung und Bildung

Externe Organisation(en)

Medizinische Universität Wien

Journal

Journal of Public Health

Band

46

Seiten

E84-E90

ISSN

1741-3842

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdad205

Publikationsdatum

03-2024

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

501004 Differentielle Psychologie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Link zum Portal

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/effectiveness-of-cloth-face-masks-to-prevent-viral-spread-a-metaanalysis(e5053f0d-7dc4-4f75-90df-4399ff4357b3).html