Some Immunological Impacts of Face Mask Usage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background and Objective: COVID-19 is a fast-spreading worldwide pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. The World Health Organization recommended wearing face masks. Masks have become an urgent necessity throughout the pandemic, the study's goal was to track the impact of wearing masks on immunological responses. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 40 healthy people who were working in health care at Nineveh Governorate Hospitals from September-December, 2020. They wore face masks at work for more than 8 months for an average of 6 hrs a day. The control sample included 40 healthy individuals, who wore masks for very short periods. All samples underwent immunological and physiological tests to research the effects of wearing masks for extended periods within these parameters. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in total White Blood Count and the absolute number of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and phagocytic activity. However, there was a significant increase in the absolute number of eosinophils in participants compared with the control. The results also suggested there were no significant differences in IgE, haemoglobin concentration and blood O 2 saturation in participants who wore masks for more than 6 hrs compared to the control group. The results showed a significant increase in pulse rate in participants who wore masks for more than 6 hrs compared to the control group. The results also showed a strong correlation coefficient between the time of wearing masks and some immunological, haematological parameters. Conclusion: Wearing masks for long periods alters immunological parameters that initiate the immune response, making the body weaker in its resistance to infectious agents.

Effect of face mask on pulmonary artery pressure during echocardiography in children and adolescents

“…In addition, the research results showed that the face mask function is partially determined by the resistance of the airflow provided. It has been considered possible that resistance to airflow could negatively impact pulmonary gas exchange and heighten pulmonary artery pressure [ 19 , 20 ]. This is consistent with our findings showing that the removal of the face mask during ECHO has a positive effect on reducing pulmonary artery pressure in children and adolescents.…”

“…HR decreased slightly after face mask removal, but no significant difference in the mean changes in HR was detected in the case and control groups. Some studies demonstrated that the decrease in HR without masks compared to the time of using the mask stems most likely from the decreased respiratory work required to overcome breathing resistance [ 19 ]. Furthermore, in the present study, the difference between the mean of SpO 2 in the control group with and without a mask was statistically significant, but it was not significant in the case group.…”

The Bacterial Burden of Worn Face Masks – Observational Research and Literature Review

“…Given this history, there has been surprisingly little research on the effects of long-term usage by professional groups. Although masks filter larger debris and aerosol droplets from the air, they carry the microbiological risks outlined here along with toxicological, physiological, psychological and sociological harms [15,17,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]124,154].…”

“…A gold-standard Cochrane evaluation, based on clinical trials [13] found no substantive evidence of efficacy in preventing viral respiratory infections and one recent study, albeit with several possible confounders, even found mask-wearing to be associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection [157]. On the other hand, the potential harms are numerous [2,3,5,[15][16][17][20][21][22][23][24]37,38,[158][159][160][161][162][163][164]. They include MIES [17], harmful blood-gas alterations [15,20] and the potential microbiological hazards outlined here.…”

“…In reality there is strong evidence that masks pose various risks, especially for pregnant women, children and adolescents, as well as older adults and the unwell [15,[17][18][19][20]. They have several demonstrably adverse effects, affecting physiology [15,17,[20][21][22][23][24], psychology [17,25] and, most obviously, social interactions [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. Effects on childhood development are a particular concern.…”