Save Surgical, Filtering Masks For Healthcare Workers: Guidelines

Filtering face piece (FFP) masks should be "strictly reserved" for health care workers (HCW) caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during the pandemic, according to new French guidelines.

Surgical mask use should be limited to patients with suggested or confirmed COVID-19, HCW and other first-aid workers who come into contact with these patients, and HCW treating a person with a respiratory infection when there is no risk of aerosolization, Dr. Didier Lepelletier of Nantes University Hospital and colleagues write.

"The non-ill population should not wear surgical masks, in order to preserve their use for the indications stated above in healthcare settings," they conclude in the Journal of Hospital Infection.

Widespread use of masks by the general public during the coronavirus pandemic, including surgical and FFP masks, has contributed to personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages affecting HCW, who are at the greatest risk of contracting the virus, the authors note.

They describe indications for the rational use of surgical masks and FFP masks during the pandemic to prevent shortages, citing February 2020 guidance from the World Health Organization and the European Centers for Disease Control's influenza pandemic plan.

Surgical or anti-projection masks are designed to protect the wearer's surroundings by trapping infectious agents, Dr. Lepelletier and colleagues explain. They are intended for one-time use, they add, and should be changed every 4 hours and if they become wet.

FFPs or respiratory protection devices (RPE) that protect the wearer if they are fitted properly, the authors continue, are also meant to be single-use, and should be worn for no longer than 8 hours.

Once people begin to leave quarantine, they note, the general public may wear face masks to complement social distancing, barrier measures and hand hygiene. "In this context, a standard make cloth mask is indicated and should be preferred," they write.

Dr. Lepelletier was not available for an interview by press time.

—Reuters Staff

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