The filter masks used by caregivers are less suited to the face shape of women and Asians, which potentially exposes these categories to a greater risk of infection with Covid-19, according to a study released on Wednesday.
"Filter masks can only provide good protection if they conform to the shape of the individual's face, so that they are tightly fitted and do not allow unfiltered air to pass through
,
"
stressed the Lead author of the study, Prof. Britta von Ungern-Sternberg, Australian University University of Western Australia.
According to the authors, a good adaptation to the face of the person wearing the mask is more important, in terms of protection, than its filtration capacity.
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Published in the medical journal
Anaesthesia
, this study reviews various works carried out in several countries even before the Covid-19 epidemic to assess the filter masks used by caregivers, such as FFP2 and their equivalent in the Anglo-Saxon world, the N95.
It shows that in tests carried out on the masks, they could be correctly applied by 95% of the men but only 85% of the women.
Also, the masks fit 90% of people of Caucasian descent, compared to 84% of people of Asian descent.
The proportion was particularly low, 60% on average, for Asian women.
The authors cite the example of the United States, where N95 masks are tested on a panel of caregivers to ensure their effectiveness.
However, they argue, women and Asians are
"under-represented"
in this panel.
Yet, according to estimates from several health authorities around the world, women represent about two-thirds of all caregivers in many countries.
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According to the authors of the study, masks should be systematically tested on caregivers in hospitals before being worn to care for the sick, which was not possible during the Covid-19 pandemic by lack of time and because of the shortage of equipment.