Influence of face masks on the subjective impairment at different physical workloads

Abstract

To quantify the subjective and cognitive impairment caused by wearing face masks at work, 20 men and 20 women (median age 47 years, range 19–65) were tested under different ergometer workloads while wearing surgical mask, community mask, FFP2 respirator or no mask in a randomized and partially double-blinded design. Masks were worn also at the workplace for four hours. Subjective impairment was recorded by questionnaires. Cognitive performance was tested before and after the workplace examination. Subjective feeling of heat, humidity, and difficult breathing increased with rising physical exertion and wearing time for all three mask types, most notably for FFP2. Even when blinded, participants with FFP2 reported difficult breathing already at rest. During physical exertion, individuals with low tolerance to discomfort reported significantly stronger impairment (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02–1.27). Regarding light work, older subjects (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.98) and women (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72–0.99) showed significantly lower and atopic subjects stronger impairment (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06–1.27). No significant influence of mask wearing was detected on cognitive performance. Wearing a mask had no effect on cognitive performance, but led to discomfort which increased with physical exertion and wearing time. Individuals who tolerate discomfort poorly felt more impaired by wearing a mask during physical exertion.

Discomfort in Use and Physical Disturbance of FFP2 Masks in a Group of Italian Doctors, Nurses and Nursing Aides during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…In the first section, participants' socio-demographic data, including gender, age, body mass (kg), height (m) and professional role (doctor, nurse, nursing aide), were collected; Section 2: Perceived workload and issues in FFP2 use. In the second section, based on Van Kampen et al [44], Matusiak et al [45] and Peres et al [21], participants were asked to rate on a 3-point scale (1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = high) the perceived level of physical workload required for their job and the number of hours of FFP2 use per day (open question). Using a short open-ended question [21], participants were then asked to describe the positive and negative aspects when using FFP2 masks.…”

Advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the mandatory use of masks in health centers and nursing homes in Spain. How and when is it justified to maintain it?

“…Although the impact on the user’s health is minimal, some studies have shown possible side effects related to prolonged use of masks such as headache, irritation and dry eyes and skin conditions (appearance or worsening of acne and other facial dermatoses, including rosacea, dermatitis seborrheic, and irritant contact dermatitis) [ 27 ]. An impact on the subjective appreciation of effort when performing physical activities has also been described [ 28 ].…”

Impacts of Mask Wearing and Leakages on Cyclic Respiratory Flows and Facial Thermoregulation

“…Exercise and being overweight could further increase the facial temperature, perceived breathing effort, and thermal discomfort [37][38][39][40][41]. Wearing N95 and surgical masks was shown to increase the heart rate and subjective sensations of discomfort in healthy volunteers but did not significantly impact thermal stress [42][43][44][45][46][47].…”