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Review
. 2023 Oct;36(5):466-469.
doi: 10.37201/req/070.2023. Epub 2023 Jun 28.

Advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the mandatory use of masks in health centers and nursing homes in Spain. How and when is it justified to maintain it?

M Martínez-Sellés, F J Martín Sánchez, S Moreno Guillén, F J Rodríguez-Artalejo, J Ruiz-Galiana, R Cantón, P De Lucas Ramos, A García-Botella, A García-Lledó, T Hernández-Sampelayo, J Gómez-Pavón, J González Del Castillo, M C Martín-Delgado, J M Molero García, B Santiago, J A Caminero, C Barros, D García de Viedma, C Martín, E Bouza  1
Affiliations
Review

Advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the mandatory use of masks in health centers and nursing homes in Spain. How and when is it justified to maintain it?

M Martínez-Sellés et al. Rev Esp Quimioter. 2023 Oct.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

We address the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the mandatory use of masks in health centers and nursing homes in the current epidemiological situation in Spain and after the declaration of the World Health Organization on May 5, 2023 of the end of COVID-19 as public health emergency. We advocate for prudence and flexibility, respecting the individual decision to wear a mask and emphasizing the need for its use when symptoms suggestive of a respiratory infection appear, in situations of special vulnerability (such as immunosuppression), or when caring for patients with those infections. At present, given the observed low risk of severe COVID-19 and the low transmission of other respiratory infections, we believe that it is disproportionate to maintain the mandatory use of masks in a general way in health centers and nursing homes. However, this could change depending on the results of epidemiological surveillance and it would be necessary to reconsider returning to the obligation in periods with a high incidence of respiratory infections.

Abordamos las ventajas e inconvenientes de mantener la obligatoriedad del uso de las mascarillas en centros sanitarios y sociosanitarios en la situación epidemiológica actual de España y tras la declaración de la Organización Mundial de la Salud el 5 de mayo de 2023 del fin de la COVID-19 como emergencia de salud pública. Propugnamos prudencia y flexibilidad, respetando la decisión individual de usar mascarilla y enfatizando la necesidad de su uso ante la aparición de síntomas sugestivos de infección respiratoria, en situaciones de especial vulnerabilidad (como inmunodepresión) o al attender pacientes con dichas infecciones. En la actualidad, dado el bajo riesgo observado de COVID-19 grave y la baja transmisión de otras infecciones respiratorias, creemos que es desproporcionado mantener el uso obligatorio de mascarillas de forma generalizada en centros sanitarios y sociosanitarios. No obstante, esto podría cambiar en función de los resultados de la vigilancia epidemiológica y habría que reconsiderar volver a la obligatoriedad en periodos con alta incidencia de infecciones respiratorias.

Keywords: COVID-19; Health centers and nursing homes; Masks; SARS-CoV-2; Spain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest

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Advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the mandatory use of masks in health centers and nursing homes.
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