Effectiveness Of Personal Protection Measures Research Articles

The effects of public health and social measures (PHSM) implemented during the COVID‐19 pandemic: An overview of systematic reviews

AbstractIntroductionTo systematically review the effectiveness and unintended health and socioeconomic consequences of public health and social measures (PHSM) aimed at reducing the scale and risk of transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19).MethodsThis review followed guidance about overviews of reviews in the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions and used the Epistemonikos database's COVID‐19 Living Overview of Evidence repository as a primary search source. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2) checklist.ResultsA total of 94 reviews were included, of which eight (9%) had “moderate” to “high” confidence ratings on the AMSTAR 2. Of 16 reviews (17%) reporting applying the GRADE framework, none found high certainty evidence for any of our outcomes of interest. Across the 94 reviews, the most frequently examined PHSM were personal protection (n = 18, 19%). Within multicomponent interventions, so‐called “lockdown” was the most frequently examined component (n = 39, 41%). The most frequently reported outcome category was non‐COVID‐19‐related health outcomes (n = 58, 62%). Only five (5%) reviews reported on socioeconomic outcomes. Findings from the eight reviews with moderate or high confidence ratings on AMSTAR 2 are narratively summarized. There is low‐certainty evidence that multicomponent interventions may reduce the transmission of COVID‐19 in different settings. For active surveillance and response measures, low‐certainty evidence suggests that routine testing of residents and staff in long‐term care facilities may reduce the number of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths among residents. We found very low‐certainty evidence about the effectiveness of personal protection measures, travel‐related control measures, and environmental measures. Unintended consequences were rarely examined by those eight reviews.ConclusionWe found predominantly low‐ to very low‐certainty evidence regarding the effectiveness and unintended consequences of PHSM in controlling the risk and scale of COVID‐19 transmission. There is a need to improve the conduct and reporting of systematic reviews.

Longitudinal Participatory Surveillance Highlights Association Between Mask-Wearing and Lower COVID-19 Risk - United States, 2020.

Numerous ecological and laboratory studies suggest face masks are an effective non-pharmaceutical intervention for reducing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but cannot otherwise assess individual-level effects. Using a prospective cohort of individuals enrolled in a participatory, syndromic surveillance tool prior to the first case of COVID-19 in the United States, we present a novel longitudinal assessment of the effectiveness of face masks. Our analysis demonstrates an association between self-reported mask-wearing behavior and lower individual risk of syndromic COVID-19-like illness while adjusting for confounders at the individual level. Our results also highlight the dual utility of participatory syndromic surveillance systems as both disease trend monitors and tools that can aid in understanding the effectiveness of personal protective measures.

Effectiveness of personal protection measures against Lyme disease: A review of epidemiologic studies from the United States.

Lyme disease, the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. In the absence of a licensed vaccine, the prevention of Lyme disease relies heavily on limiting tick exposure. Methods for limiting tick exposure include personal protection measures such as repellent use, wearing protective clothing, avoiding areas where ticks may be present, bathing after exposure to tick habitat and performing regular tick checks. Public health officials typically recommend all these personal protection measures; however, there is limited evidence to promote one behaviour or practice over another. The focus of this article is to review available literature that examines the effectiveness of recommended personal protection measures to prevent Lyme and other Ixodes-transmitted diseases in humans. Articles included in this review were identified through Google Scholar and PubMed searches using specific search terms. We identified over 56,000 articles using Google Scholar and PubMed searches. Of those, 16 studies fit our criteria for inclusion and were reviewed in their entirety. Among the personal protection measures evaluated, no intervention was predominantly or consistently effective across studies, demonstrating that, currently, there is no single best method for primary prevention of Ixodes-transmitted diseases in the United States. Frequently recommended practices such as tick checks, repellent use and protective clothing had mixed results across studies. Study design differences limited comparability among studies, and sample sizes for these studies may have been too small to detect statistically significant results even if a prevention method was effective. Though many of the reviewed personal protection measures are frequently recommended to the public, limited evidence demonstrates their ability to prevent tick-borne disease. Additional standardized studies are needed to evaluate personal protection measures.

Genotoxicity surveillance programme in workers dismantling World War I chemical ammunition

To evaluate the effectiveness of personal protective measures in a dismantling plant for chemical weapons from World War I of the Belgian Defence. Seventeen NIOSH level B-equipped plant workers exposed to arsenic trichloride (AsCl(3)) in combination with phosgene or hydrogen cyanide (HCN) were compared to 24 NIOSH level C-protected field workers occasionally exposed to genotoxic chemicals (including AsCl(3)-phosgene/HCN) when collecting chemical ammunition, and 19 matched referents. Chromosomal aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MNCB and MNMC), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and high frequency cells (HFC) were analysed in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Urinary arsenic levels and genetic polymorphisms in major DNA repair enzymes (hOGG1(326), XRCC1(399), XRCC3(241)) were also assessed. SCE and HFC levels were significantly higher in plant-exposed versus referent subjects, but MNCB and MNMC were not different. MNCB, SCE and HFC levels were significantly higher and MNMC levels significantly lower in field-exposed workers versus referents. AsCl(3) exposure was not correlated with genotoxicity biomarkers. Protective measures for plant-exposed workers appear adequate, but protection for field-exposed individuals could be improved.

Effectiveness of Personal Protective Measures to Prevent Lyme Disease

After the manufacture of Lyme vaccine was discontinued in 2002, strategies to prevent Lyme disease (LD) have focused on personal protective measures. Effectiveness of these measures has not been conclusively demonstrated. The aim of our case-control study was to assess the effectiveness of personal preventive measures in a highly disease-endemic area. Case-patients were persons with LD reported to Connecticut's Department of Public Health and classified as having definite, possible, or unlikely LD. Age-matched controls without LD were identified. Study participants were interviewed to assess the practice of preventive measures and to obtain information on occupational and recreational risk factors. Use of protective clothing was 40% effective; routine use of tick repellents on skin or clothing was 20% effective. Checking one's body for ticks and spraying property with acaricides were not effective. We concluded that use of protective clothing and of tick repellents (on skin or clothing) are effective in preventing LD.

Personal protection measures against fire ant attacks

Fire ant stings lead to significant morbidity and mortality each year. Virtually no information exists in the scientific literature about the effectiveness of personal protection measures against these ants. To quantify the level of protection from ant stings by socks and cotton tights and to evaluate the efficacy of repellents and other chemicals in preventing stings. Commercially obtained infant socks were fitted on a plastic doll's foot, which was touched to fire ant mounds in a series of controlled experiments. Socks and cotton tights were stretched over a human finger and placed in a fire ant mound to test the ability of ants to sting through fabric. Assays were developed to screen chemical substances for their ability to stop or prevent fire ant stings. Socks of any type reduced the number of fire ants that reached the skin and delayed the time required for ants to reach the skin above the sock level. Fire ants were unable to sting through all socks tested. Ants successfully stung both paper towels and human skin, regardless of chemical substance or repellent applied to them. Socks provide some degree of protection from fire ant stings; therefore, children living in fire ant-infested areas should wear them. Fire ants appear unable to sting through many commercially available socks. Cotton tights may be useful in protecting the lower extremities of children. Fire ants are not deterred from stinging by a wide variety of insect repellents and chemical substances.

An ecosystem approach to human health and the prevention of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tumaco, Colombia.

A study was conducted during 1996-1997 in 20 villages of Tumaco, Colombia, to evaluate the effectiveness of personal protective measures against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The intervention was effective, but the high costs of the preventive measures and the lack of a more holistic approach hampered the intervention's sustainability. This paper analyzes the results using an ecosystem approach to human health. Using this approach, we found that CL has been present in the study area for a long time and affects farmers and those living closest to the forest. The forest constitutes the habitat for insect vectors (sandflies) and parasite reservoirs (wild mammals). Four spatial scales were identified in this ecosystem: residential, village, regional, and global. From the ecosystem perspective, three interventions are proposed to prevent CL in the 20 villages: improve housing construction, organize village housing in clusters, and make diagnosis and treatment of CL more accessible. The design and implementation of these interventions require active involvement by people with the disease (village inhabitants) and decision-makers (local authorities).

Effectiveness of personal protection measures against mosquito bites for malaria prophylaxis in travelers.

To determine the effectiveness of personal protection measures (PPM) against mosquito bites in travelers as tools of malaria prevention. Two step questionnaire survey conducted in European tourists who visited East Africa: cross-sectional evaluation during the return flight with follow-up 12 weeks after return home. Among 100,336 tourists participating in a malaria survey, 89,617 had answered all questions relating to PPM and to malaria occurrence. The main outcome measure was the occurrence of malaria. Only 2% of tourists visiting East Africa regularly take all four of the most important PPM. Regular use of PPM resulted in a small, but significant reduction of malaria incidence when travelers were interviewed 12 weeks after returning home. Air-conditioned rooms and clothing which covered arms and legs were effective, whereas repellants, insecticides, coils, etc. showed no significant effect. In general, advice relating to all possible PPM in travelers should be concentrated on those who are at greatest risk of bites, and thus of malaria. For those at low and intermediate risk, preference should be given to convenient measures with proven effectiveness, such as using air-conditioned rooms and appropriate clothing.