A Review of 2020 State and DC Face Mask Guidelines for U.S. Healthcare Workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

MEDICAL masks; WORLD Health Organization; NATIONAL Institute for Occupational Safety & Health; HEALTH facilities; AEROSOLS; UNITED States. Occupational Safety & Health Administration; COVID-19; INTERNET searching; MEDICAL equipment contamination; DEPARTMENTS; MEDICAL protocols; DOCUMENTATION; CENTERS for Disease Control & Prevention (U.S.); DESCRIPTIVE statistics; DECISION making; POLICY sciences; DATA analysis software; PATIENT-professional relations; MANAGEMENT; COVID-19 pandemic; N95 respirators; MEDICAL equipment reuse; WORLD Wide Web

UNITED States; WASHINGTON (D.C.)

This study reviewed state and District of Columbia (DC) health department guidelines for the use of face masks by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic via an October 2020 internet search and compared these guidelines to those from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidelines varied between states and DC with respect to N95 face mask and surgical mask use, as well as to extended use and re-use of N95 masks. Uniform guidance based on emerging evidence should be required for creating policy and procedures for healthcare workers during this and future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]