Use of N95, Surgical, and Cloth Masks to Prevent COVID-19 in Health Care and Community Settings: Living Practice Points From the American College of Physicians (Version 1)
Practice guideline reveals varying protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 across community and clinical settings, highlighting distinct roles for N95, surgical, and cloth masks.
Key Points
Determine the effectiveness of N95 respirators, surgical masks, and cloth masks in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission across healthcare and community settings.
Evidence synthesis of available literature published through 14 April 2020.
Conducted by the American College of Physicians under a living practice points framework with active 1-year surveillance.
Evidence was synthesized qualitatively to establish practice points for mask selection across clinical and community environments.
Surveillance protocols were implemented to periodically update efficacy evaluations as newly emerging comparative transmission data become available.