Table 6.
Pooled estimates of effect of public health interventions to interrupt transmission of SARS from case-control studies
| Intervention | No of studies (references) | Odds ratio (95% CI) | Intervention effectiveness* (%) | Number needed to treat (95% CI)† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent handwashing (>10 times daily) | 6 (w48, w45-w47, w49, w50) | 0.45 (0.36 to 0.57) | 55 | 4.00 (3.65 to 5.52) |
| Wearing mask | 5 (w45-w47, w49, w50) | 0.32 (0.25 to 0.40) | 68 | 6.00 (4.54 to 8.03) |
| Wearing N95 mask | 2 (w45, w47) | 0.09 (0.03 to 0.30) | 91 | 3.00 (2.37 to 4.06) |
| Wearing gloves | 4 (w46, w47 w45, w50) | 0.43 (0.29 to 0.65) | 57 | 7.00 (4.15 to 15.41) |
| Wearing gown | 4 (w45, w46, w47, w50) | 0.23 (0.14 to 0.37) | 77 | 5.00 (3.37 to 7.12) |
| Handwashing, mask, gloves, and gown combined | 2 (w46, w47) | 0.09 (0.02 to 0.35) | 91 | 3.00 (2.66 to 4.97) |
*Odds ratio−1.
†Number needed to treat to prevent one case.