TWO HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED MASKING: THE TOLERABILITY OF FACE MASKS
AMIDST A PANDEMIC
Abstract
Background/Aim: There is insufficient data on physiological and
psychological alterations that may occur among health-care workers
wearing various face masks during novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic. In this study, we aimed to investigate the physiological
effects of various types of face masking and associated discomfort among
health-care workers. Methods: This prospective study included 33 healthy
health-care workers. Each participant was asked to wear a single
surgical mask, double mask, N95 type mask, and surgical mask on N95 type
mask for an uninterrupted period of 2 hours. Oxygen saturation, heart
pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and step counts were recorded
at baseline and every 30 min of 2 hours with a total of five times for
each mask type. Self-assessment of fatigue, exhaustion, and headache
were also graded. Intra- and inter-group analyses were performed.
Results: There was no significant difference in the oxygen saturation,
pulse and respiratory rates among the participants including intra- and
inter-groups (p>0.05) Although no significant difference
was seen in diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressures gradually
and significantly increased with a double surgical mask
(p<0.05). Headache and exhaustion scores increased gradually
and significantly over time at every measurement time-point with every
mask type (p<0.05) Fatigue scores also increased in
intra-group comparison of mask types without any difference in-between.
Conclusion: Our study results show that, during 2 hours of period, face
mask types affect only subjective parameters such as headache,
exhaustion, and fatigue without any change in the objective parameters
such as oxygen saturation, and pulse and respiratory rates among
health-care workers.