Question
- What is the clinical effectiveness of masks for unvaccinated health care workers to prevent the transmission of influenza in acute or long-term care settings?
- What is the cost-effectiveness of masks for unvaccinated health care workers to prevent the transmission of influenza in acute or long-term care settings?
- What are the evidence-based guidelines regarding the use of masks for unvaccinated health care workers to prevent the transmission of influenza?
Key Message
Four SRs (one with meta-analysis [MA]), were identified and included in this review. All SRs met the inclusion criteria for this report; however, none of their primary studies met our eligibility criteria. Thus, the clinical effectiveness of masks for unvaccinated HCWs to prevent the transmission of influenza in acute or long-term care settings remains unclear.
No evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of masks for unvaccinated HCWs to prevent the transmission of influenza in acute or long-term care settings was identified. Furthermore, no evidence-based guideline regarding the use of masks for unvaccinated HCWs to prevent the transmission of influenza was identified.