Mask

A study that used wastewater signals to identify cases of COVID-19 found that even a small increase in the proportion of people wearing masks at elementary schools in one California county significantly reduced the chance of a case.

A recent review of randomized controlled trials — most of which were conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic — has become part of the debate on the effectiveness of masks in preventing the spread of respiratory illnesses.

An updated analysis published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has fueled debate about the effectiveness of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Adults with asthma experienced more exacerbations and acute respiratory infections after COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed, according to study results published in Thorax.

Wearing a face mask, particularly an N-95 mask, for more than 6 hours a day could exacerbate dry eye symptoms in health care workers aged younger than 40 years with a history of dry eye disease, researchers reported in Cureus.

Covering N95 filtering facepiece respirators with a face mask can cause respirator leaking and failure, according to a study among health care workers.

A newly created smart mask can detect and decipher the difference between breathing, coughing and speaking, which researchers say can help in identifying several respiratory diseases.

Boston-area school districts that lifted mask mandates earlier this year experienced nearly 45 more cases of COVID-19 per 1,000 students and staff than school districts that kept their mandates in place, a study found.

In a new study, use of filtering facepiece class 2 or 3 respirators was associated with an increased risk for airway complications, but most aerosol precautions during COVID-19 were not linked with the same risk.

The prevalence of optimal cardiometabolic health among U.S. adults declined in the past 2 decades, and researchers found persistent disparities based on age, sex, education and race.