What is the most appropriate respiratory protection against COVID-19?

The world is suffering from a pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19), with a mortality rate of up to 4%.1 COVID-19 infection is seen at disproportionately high levels among healthcare workers. Current UK guidance regarding the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 was updated in April 2020.2 For close contact (<2 metres), the recommended respiratory protection remains a fluid-resistant surgical face mask. However, for areas at higher risk of aerosols, or during aerosol generating procedures, the use of filtering face piece (FFP) mask is advised. These high-risk settings are defined as resuscitation areas within the emergency department and hospital areas using invasive or non-invasive ventilation. Notably, wards caring for non-ventilated COVID-19 positive patients are excluded, as are community care settings and ambulances, where contact with infectious cases is likely. Importantly, there have been no studies comparing the efficacy...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: COVID-19 Letters Source Type: research