3. Results from trials of hand hygiene + medical/surgical masks compared to control.
| Study | Comparison (see Table 4 for details of interventions) | Reported outcomes | Results |
|
Aelami 2015 (conference abstract) RCT Saudi Arabia |
Hand hygiene education + alcohol‐based hand rub + soap + surgical masks vs none | Proportion with ILI (defined as presence of ≥ 2 of the following during their stay: fever, cough, and sore throat) | 52% in intervention; 55.3% in control (P < 0.001) |
|
Aiello 2010 cluster‐RCT USA |
Face mask use (FM) vs face masks + hand hygiene (FM + HH) vs control Note that this study is not included in meta‐analysis as each treatment group included only 1 cluster. |
1. ILI 2. Laboratory‐confirmed influenza A or B | Significant reduction in ILI cases in both intervention groups compared with control over weeks 3 to 6 No significant differences between FM and FM + HH |
|
Aiello 2012 cluster‐RCT USA |
Face mask use (FM) vs face masks + hand hygiene (FM + HH) vs control | 1. Clinical ILI 2. Laboratory‐confirmed influenza A or B | 1. Non‐significant reductions in FM group compared with control over all weeks. Significant reduction in FM + HH group compared with control in weeks 3 to 6 2. Non‐significant reductions in both intervention groups compared with control |
|
Cowling 2009 cluster‐RCT Hong Kong |
Hand hygiene (HH) vs hand hygiene plus face masks (HH + mask) vs control | Secondary attack ratio for: 1. laboratory‐confirmed influenza; 2. ILI definition 1; 3. ILI definition 2. | 1. HH 5; HH + mask 7; control 10 2. HH 16; HH + mask 21; control 19 3. HH 4; HH + mask 7; control 5 |
|
Larson 2010 cluster‐RCT USA |
Education (control) vs education with alcohol‐based hand sanitiser (HS) vs education + HS + face masks (HS + mask) | Incidence rate ratios (episodes per 1000 person‐weeks) for:
1. URI;
2. ILI;
3. influenza. Secondary attack rates for: 4. URI/ILI/influenza; 5. ILI/influenza. |
1. HS 29; HS + mask 39; control 35 2. HS 1.9; HS + mask 1.6; control 2.3 3. HS 0.6; HS + mask 0.5; control 2.3 4. HS 0.14; HS + mask 0.12; control 0.14 5. HS 0.02; HS + mask 0.02; control 0.02 |
|
Simmerman 2011 cluster‐RCT Thailand |
Control vs hand‐washing (HW) vs hand‐washing + paper surgical face masks (HW + mask) | Odds ratio for secondary attack rates for influenza | OR for HW: control 1.20 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.88) OR for HW + mask: control 1.16 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.82) OR for HW + mask: HW 0.72 (95% CI 0.21 to 2.48) |
|
Suess 2012 cluster‐RCT Germany |
Face mask + hand hygiene (mask + HH) vs face masks only (mask) vs none (control) | Secondary attack rates in household contacts: 1. Laboratory‐confirmed influenza 2. ILI | 1. Mask 9; mask + HH 15; control 23 2. Mask 9; mask + HH 9; control 17 |
CI: confidence interval cluster‐RCT: cluster‐randomised controlled trial FM: face mask HH: hand hygiene HS: hand sanitiser HW: hand‐washing ILI: influenza‐like illness OR: odds ratio RCT: randomised controlled trial URI: upper respiratory infection