Facial protection in the era of COVID-19: A narrative review.
Oral Dis
; 27 Suppl 3: 665-673, 2021 Apr.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1434803
ABSTRACT
We live in extraordinary times, where COVID-19 pandemic has brought the whole world to a screeching halt. Tensions and contradictions that surround the pandemic ridden world include the availability, and the lack thereof, various facial protection measures to mitigate the viral spread. Here, we comprehensively explore the different types of facial protection measures, including masks, needed both for the public and the healthcare workers (HCW). We discuss the anatomy, the critical issues of disinfection and reusability of masks, the alternative equipment available for the protection of the facial region from airborne diseases, such as face shields and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR), and the skin health impact of prolonged wearing of facial protection by HCW. Clearly, facial protection, either in the form of masks or alternates, appears to have mitigated the pandemic as seen from the minimal COVID-19 spread in countries where public mask wearing is strictly enforced. On the contrary, the healthcare systems, that appear to have been unprepared for emergencies of this nature, should be appropriately geared to handle the imbalance of supply and demand of personal protective equipment including face masks. These are two crucial lessons we can learn from this tragic experience.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Reviews
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Oral Dis
Journal subject:
Dentistry
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Odi.13460
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS