Face mask use during the COVID‐19 pandemic was associated with breathing difficulties in adolescent patients with asthma

Abstract

The use of face masks has been mandated to varying degrees across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic evolved, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks in specific situations and settings, in order to suppress the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). 1 The WHO recommended that children below 5 years of age should not use masks, due to safety reasons and compliance challenges. 2 A risk-based approach that took multiple factors into consideration was recommended for children and adolescents aged 6-11 years.Adolescents aged 12 years or above were encouraged to follow the WHO guidelines or national guidelines on face masks for adults. 2 The Danish Health Authorities generally followed the WHO recommendations for adolescents. Adolescents over 12 years of age followed the face mask guidelines for adults, whereas residents under 12 years of age were exempt.

Important Repercussions of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lifestyle Avoided by Researchers? Face Masks and Temporomandibular Disorders: A Systematic Search and Review

“…One review stated that the microclimate under the mask can be like a greenhouse, which favors microbiota involved in the development of acne [49]. One of the biggest causes of discomfort are also breathing problems [42,[50][51][52][53], especially in people suffering from asthma [53]. The prolonged face mask use can also affect ocular health by exacerbating dry eye symptoms [54,55,56], [57] or creating visual artifacts due to improper fit [58], which, as one of the existing cases showed, also plays a role in worsening those symptoms by directing the exhaled air into the user's eyes [59].…”