Effects of Wearing FFP2 Masks on SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rates in Classrooms

Abstract

In this retrospective cohort study involving 614 secondary school students, the likelihood of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 in schools with different focus (sports focus vs. general branch; the only difference in the sports focus school was that PE was allowed at all times without restrictions) and different prevailing restrictions were compared. A significantly higher likelihood of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was found in sports classes during the period with a strict FFP-2 mask requirement compared to general branch classes (for Delta from November 2021 to December 2021, and for Omicron from January 2022 to February 2022). The higher likelihood of infection was observed both during the Delta and the Omicron wave. After the relaxation of the mitigation measures, however, students in general branch classes showed a clear “catch-up” of infections, leading to a higher incidence of infections during this phase. By the end of the observation period (30 April 2022), only a small difference in cumulative SARS-CoV-2 infection rates (p = 0.037, φ = 0.09) was detected between classes with a sports focus and those without a sports focus. The results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 transmission can be reduced in school classes by mandatory FFP-2 mask use. In many cases, however, infection appears to be postponed rather than avoided.

Systematic Review: Faktor yang Berperan terhadap Efektivitas Penggunaan APD dalam Mencegah Transmisi Covid-19 pada Tenaga Kesehatan

“…Masker sekali pakai menunjukkan efisiensi filtrasi moderat (80,33% ke luar dan 88% ke dalam) masker kain memiliki efisiensi filtrasi paling buruk (mis., 55% ke luar dan 69,33%). 20,21 Penggunaan topi bedah, pelindung kacamata dan sarung tangan juga memberi efek perlindungan terhadap infeksi COVID-19. 15 Suuna et.al (2022) memperkuat argumen tersebut dengan menyatakan bahwa tenaga kesehatan yang konsisten menggunakan APD dapat secara efektif melindungi petugas layanan kesehatan dari COVID-19.…”

Contextual and psychological factors of mask-wearing among secondary school students: A cross-sectional survey from Toronto

“…Our findings may not only provide insight towards the masking behaviour of adolescents in a mask-optional setting, but also advise for better policies for future respiratory pandemics. Mandatory masking policies in secondary schools have shown to be very effective in slowing the transmission of COVID-19 and its variants (6)(7)(8)(9)(10). In Ontario, the masking adherence of children in K-12 schools varied between 43% to 97% across individual studies, where older students generally exhibited higher levels of adherence (11).…”