Surgical Masks vs N95s

[George K]

https://www.jwatch.org/na55566/2023/01/04/are-surgical-masks-adequate-healthcare-workers-caring

Are Surgical Masks Adequate for Healthcare Workers Caring for Patients with COVID-19?

Daniel Kaul, MD, reviewing Loeb M et al. Ann Intern Med 2022 Dec

In a randomized trial, surgical masks were noninferior to fitted N95 respirators for inpatient healthcare workers.

Recommendations vary regarding type of mask worn by healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for inpatients with COVID-19. Now, researchers report results of a randomized, controlled, international trial of fitted N95 respirators versus surgical masks for HCWs.

The trial was conducted at 27 acute care hospitals and 2 long-term care facilities in 4 countries. Canadian centers enrolled about one quarter of the 1009 participants during the pre-Omicron era, and Egyptian centers enrolled just over half after Omicron emerged. During 10 weeks' follow-up, PCR-confirmed COVID-19 occurred in 52 of 497 HCWs (10.5%) wearing medical masks and 47 of 507 (9.3%) using N95 respirators. Thus, medical masks were shown to be noninferior. Significant effect heterogeneity was seen between countries, with better protection from N95 respirators observed in Canada compared with Egypt. Seropositivity at baseline and known community exposure to SARS-CoV-2 did not explain the differences between counties.

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Interesting.

[kluurs]

"noninferior" - not noninferior word choice.

[George K]

@kluurs said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

"noninferior" - not noninferior word choice.

I'm seeing that kind of terminology a lot these days. Why not simply say "as good as" or "as effective?"

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

@kluurs said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

"noninferior" - not noninferior word choice.

I'm seeing that kind of terminology a lot these days. Why not simply say "as good as" or "as effective?"

We never say somewhere is 'safe'. We say Hazardous (Classified) location, and Unclassified location. That way, when somebody gets drunk, falls down and breaks their neck they can't sue us.

[Renauda]

@George-K said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

@kluurs said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

"noninferior" - not noninferior word choice.

I'm seeing that kind of terminology a lot these days. Why not simply say "as good as" or "as effective?"

How about “no worse than….”.

[Jolly]

Noted that N95's were better at protection in Canada vs. Egypt. How much better?

And were Canadian healthcare and Egyptian healthcare exposed for approximately the same length of time?

[Copper]

@kluurs said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

"noninferior" - not noninferior word choice.

It makes the user look nonstupid.

[Klaus]

@George-K said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

@kluurs said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

"noninferior" - not noninferior word choice.

I'm seeing that kind of terminology a lot these days. Why not simply say "as good as" or "as effective?"

"as good as" means "about the same".

"noninferior" would include the possibility of being vastly superior.

[George K]

@Klaus said in Surgical Masks vs N95s:

"noninferior" would include the possibility of being vastly superior.

Of course.

However, if the study showed something to be vastly superior, wouldn't they just say that?