Becker's Hospital Review

82 It's time to upgrade from cloth masks, experts say By Cailey Gleeson M isinformation surrounding masking has turned the topic into a binary for Americans: either you're masked or not — but experts say the public needs to start paying attention to the quality of their masks. In an Oct. 4 piece for e Atlantic, science editor Yasmin Tayag cited a study from Bangladesh link- ing surgical masks to an 11.2 percent decrease in COVID-19 symptoms and antibodies compared to a 5 percent decrease with cloth masks. Ms. Tayag recognized factors contributing to the "con- tinued obsession" with cloth masks — such as cost effectiveness and eco-friendliness — and added that public health agencies should have used government resources to combat the shortage. Linsey Marr, an environmental engineer and aerosol science expert, told Scientific American in a Sept. 30 piece that disposable masks may actually be worn until they become "visibly damaged or soiled." e Scientific American piece went on to say, contrary to the start of the pandemic, there is now a "cornuco- pia" of high-filtration respirator-style masks. e most important considerations for mask effectiveness are filtration, fit and comfort. An issue with high filtration masks being commer- cially available, according to Scientific American, is the reliability of suppliers. Kimberly Prather, an aerosol expert, recommended the suppliers Project N95, Bona Fide Masks and DemeTech. "Even if a pivot toward surgical masks wouldn't be some pandemic panacea, America's mask inertia is in many ways a symptom of the nation's single-pronged pandemic response," Ms.Tayag wrote. "e country has collectively banked on vaccination to end the pan- demic, and one consequence is that attention to other protective measures has lagged. n WHO releases official clinical definition for post COVID-19 By Erica Carbajal T he World Health Organization released a clinical definition of post COVID-19 illness Oct. 6 that was developed by patients and researchers. "Post COVID-19 condition occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually three months from the onset of COVID-19, with symptoms that last for at least two months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis," the definition reads. "Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction but also others and generally have an impact on everyday functioning. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also fluctuate or relapse over time," the definition continues. This is the first version of the definition and it may change over time as new evidence emerges, the WHO said. Estimates on the number of COVID-19 patients who experience symptoms after their initial infection has cleared range from 10 to 30 percent. n Anxiety and depression down in 2021, but still elevated: CDC By Mackenzie Bean N ational rates of anxiety and depression declined in the first half of 2021 but remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic lev- els, according to a CDC report published Oct. 5. The report is based on the ongoing Household Pulse Survey, a national online survey developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. The survey has polled a nationally repre- sentative sample of U.S. adults biweekly since April 23, 2020. Based on survey responses, the CDC found average anxiety severi- ty scores increased 13 percent between August and December 2020 before falling 26.8 percent between December 2020 and June 2021. CDC researchers reported a similar trend for depression rates. Despite the 2021 decreases, anxiety and depression rates were still higher than national estimates for 2019, according to the CDC. The relative increases and decreases in reported symptoms also "mirrored the national weekly number of new COVID-19 cases during the same period," the agency said. n

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