Surgical masks are not inferior to FFP2, according to a study

Until now, the experts assured that in order not to run any risk and not get infected from the covid had to use masks preferably N95 –according to the American nomenclature– or FFP2 –European regulation whose initials are filtering face pieces–. however a study A recent study led by researchers at McMaster University states that surgical masks – the blue ones – are not inferior in stopping the spread of the virus.

This conclusion is the result of following 1,009 healthcare workers who were with covid patients at 29 sites in Canada, Egypt, Israel and Pakistan between May 2020 and March 2022. Study participants were randomly assigned a surgical mask, which was already the standard used at all study sites, or an N95. As with all clinical trials, study participants were volunteers who might withdraw from the study or switch to an N95 at any time.

“Statistically, surgical masks were no less effective than N95s in preventing covid infections in healthcare providers caring for patients with the virus,” said lead author Mark LoebProfessor in McMaster’s Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Hamilton’s infectious physician.

Surgical masks were no less effective than N95s in preventing covid infectionsMark Loeb

“The primary objective of this study is that there have been no other rigorous comparisons of surgical masks with N95 respirators. This was also the only randomized clinical trial, offering the highest standards of evidence, related to this question during the pandemic.”

Loeb said a systematic review of four previous randomized controlled trials on masks conducted between 1990 and March 2020 shows that surgical mask use did not increase viral respiratory infections or clinical respiratory illness.