Effects of N95 Masks Versus Surgical/Loop Masks on Arterial Blood Gases and Adverse Symptoms in Operating Room Staff During Prolonged Usage: A Pilot Study

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a catastrophic impact on the global population. N95 masks are commonly used as filtering facepiece respirators for healthcare workers. At the end of long shifts, they have reported headaches, dizziness, fatigue, exhaustion, and physical and mental discomfort. There is a lack of data on the effects of N95 masks on blood gases in healthcare workers who wear masks for longer durations. We analyzed and compared the effects of continuously wearing N95 versus loop/surgical masks on various symptomology parameters and arterial blood gases for longer durations.