Abstract
Studies to determine the effectiveness of facemasks in preventing influenza have been inconclusive, largely due to small sample size. The Hajj pilgrimage, where the incidence of influenza and other respiratory infections is high, provides an excellent opportunity to test the effectiveness of facemasks against syndromic and laboratory-confirmed infections. Hence, a pilot study was conducted among Australian pilgrims to assess the feasibility of such a large-scale trial in the coming years. At the 2011 Hajj, tents were randomised to ‘supervised mask use’ versus ‘no supervised mask use’. Pilgrims with ILI symptoms for ≤3 days were recruited as ‘cases’ and those who slept within 2 meters of them as ‘contacts’. Surgical facemasks were provided to cases and contacts in the ‘mask’ tents, but not in the ‘control’ tents. Pilgrims in both groups were given diaries to record their respiratory symptoms. Nasal or pharyngeal swabs were collected from the cases and contacts with ILI for point-of-care and nucleic acid tests. A total of 22 tents were randomised to ‘mask’ (n=12) or ‘control’ (n=10). There were 164 pilgrims recruited; 75 in ‘mask’ and 89 in ‘control’ group. Mask use compliance was 76% in the ‘mask’ group and 12% in the ‘control’ group. Based on developing syndromic ILI, less contacts became symptomatic in the ‘mask’ tents compared to the ‘control’ tents (31% versus 53%, p= 0.04). However, laboratory results did not show any difference between the two groups. This pilot study shows that a large trial to assess the effectiveness of facemasks use at Hajj is feasible.
Keywords: Facemask, Hajj, influenza-like illness, Mecca, pilgrims, respiratory infections.
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets
Title:Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial to Test Effectiveness of Facemasks in Preventing Influenza-like Illness Transmission among Australian Hajj Pilgrims in 2011
Volume: 14 Issue: 2
Author(s): Osamah Barasheed, Nedal Almasri, Al-Mamoon Badahdah, Leon Heron, Janette Taylor, Kenneth McPhee, Iman Ridda, Elizabeth Haworth, Dominic E Dwyer, Harunor Rashid and Robert Booy on behalf of the Hajj Research Team
Affiliation:
Keywords: Facemask, Hajj, influenza-like illness, Mecca, pilgrims, respiratory infections.
Abstract: Studies to determine the effectiveness of facemasks in preventing influenza have been inconclusive, largely due to small sample size. The Hajj pilgrimage, where the incidence of influenza and other respiratory infections is high, provides an excellent opportunity to test the effectiveness of facemasks against syndromic and laboratory-confirmed infections. Hence, a pilot study was conducted among Australian pilgrims to assess the feasibility of such a large-scale trial in the coming years. At the 2011 Hajj, tents were randomised to ‘supervised mask use’ versus ‘no supervised mask use’. Pilgrims with ILI symptoms for ≤3 days were recruited as ‘cases’ and those who slept within 2 meters of them as ‘contacts’. Surgical facemasks were provided to cases and contacts in the ‘mask’ tents, but not in the ‘control’ tents. Pilgrims in both groups were given diaries to record their respiratory symptoms. Nasal or pharyngeal swabs were collected from the cases and contacts with ILI for point-of-care and nucleic acid tests. A total of 22 tents were randomised to ‘mask’ (n=12) or ‘control’ (n=10). There were 164 pilgrims recruited; 75 in ‘mask’ and 89 in ‘control’ group. Mask use compliance was 76% in the ‘mask’ group and 12% in the ‘control’ group. Based on developing syndromic ILI, less contacts became symptomatic in the ‘mask’ tents compared to the ‘control’ tents (31% versus 53%, p= 0.04). However, laboratory results did not show any difference between the two groups. This pilot study shows that a large trial to assess the effectiveness of facemasks use at Hajj is feasible.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Barasheed Osamah, Almasri Nedal, Badahdah Al-Mamoon, Heron Leon, Taylor Janette, McPhee Kenneth, Ridda Iman, Haworth Elizabeth, Dwyer E Dominic, Rashid Harunor and Booy on behalf of the Hajj Research Team Robert, Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial to Test Effectiveness of Facemasks in Preventing Influenza-like Illness Transmission among Australian Hajj Pilgrims in 2011, Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets 2014; 14 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871526514666141021112855
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871526514666141021112855 |
Print ISSN 1871-5265 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 2212-3989 |
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Evaluation of the Binding Affinity of Anti-Viral Drugs against Main Protease of SARS-CoV-2 Through a Molecular Docking Study
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets An Overview of the Treatment Contributions Measured Globally for the COVID-19 Outbreak
Coronaviruses A Preliminary Review on Novel Coronavirus Disease: COVID-19
Coronaviruses Synthetic Peptides for the Immunodiagnosis of Human Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Undiscovered Potential of Essential Oils for Treating SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Current Pharmaceutical Design Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived-Exosomes as Effective Factors in Reducing Cytokine Storm Symptoms of COVID-19
Protein & Peptide Letters Polyfunctionalized Pyrrole Derivatives: Easy Three-component Microwave-assisted Synthesis, Cytostatic and Antiviral Evaluation
Current Microwave Chemistry Virtual Screening, Molecular Docking and <i>In silico</i> ADME-Tox Analysis for Identification of Potential Main Protease (Mpro) Enzyme Inhibitors
Anti-Infective Agents Transmission Modes of COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets Glycyrrhizin as a Potential Treatment for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Withdrawal Notice: The Relationship between Opium Use and Coronavirus Infection: A Brief Research Report from Iran
Coronaviruses Management of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Ocular COVID-19: Eyes as a Reservoir to Conceal and Spread SARSCoV- 2
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Allergy Drugs in Rhinosinusitis
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate (Plaquenil): A Possible Candidate for Pandemic SARS-CoV-2 or (COVID-19) ?
Coronaviruses Properties of Ethnomedicinal Plants and Their Bioactive Compounds: Possible Use for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment
Current Pharmaceutical Design An Antifungal Peptide with Antiproliferative Activity Toward Tumor Cells from Red Kidney Beans
Protein & Peptide Letters Targeting HIV-1 gp41 in Close Proximity to the Membrane Using Antibody and Other Molecules
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Production, Novel Assay Development and Clinical Applications of Monoclonal Antibodies
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Phytochemical Informatics and Virtual Screening of Herbs Used in Chinese Medicine
Current Pharmaceutical Design