Suchergebnisse

Juan Chen,1,* Yong-Ran Cheng,2,* Wen Wen,1,* Chunyi Wang,1,* Jie Ni,1 Jingjie Jiang,1 Xinyan Fu,1 Mengyun Zhou,3 Lan Ye,4 Zhong-Jun Ge,5 Han-Xia Tan,6 Mingwei Wang,1 Zhan-Hui Feng,7 Xingwei Zhang1 1Department of Cardiology, Hangzhou Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China; 2School of Public Health, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China; 3Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Nagano, Japan; 4Basic Medical College, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, People's Republic of China; 5Department of Cardiology, The Fourth People's Hospital of Lin'an, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China; 6Department of Oncology, The Third People's Hospital of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China; 7Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhan-Hui FengAffiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, No. 28, Guiyi Street, Guiyang, People's Republic of ChinaEmail h9450203@126.comXingwei ZhangHangzhou Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, 126 Wenzhou Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou, People's Republic of ChinaEmail hsdzxw@126.comBackground: Many people have experienced novel coronavirus pneumonia since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. The Chinese government has encouraged people to wear face masks in public places; however, due to the large population, there may be a series of problems related to this recommendation, including shortages of masks and lack of an optimal disposal method for used masks.Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of mask shortages and used masks in China.Methods: A questionnaire survey was designed to assess the current status of mask shortages and used masks. The differences among groups were analyzed with chi-square tests.Results: The constituent ratio of those who reuse masks was 61%. Obtaining masks from the drugstore was reported to be very difficult due to high demand and short supply, and approximately 1/3 of the respondents purchased expensive masks. Most people know how to properly handle used masks, and only 7% of them casually discard masks. However, 50% of respondents have seen others throw away used masks at will. A further subgroup analysis showed that respondents in Central China tended to use masks repeatedly, as did medical personnel. Females, people living in the central region, and medical personnel may find it more difficult to purchase masks in drugstores. Non-medical personnel may be more likely to buy expensive masks. Females, people living in the western region, and medical personnel may be more likely to know how to properly handle used masks and not to discard used masks at will. Medical personnel may be more likely to observe others discarding used masks at will.Conclusion: In response to COVID-19, the public should be encouraged to use face masks and are advised not to reuse or throw away masks at will due to safety concerns.Keywords: COVID-19, mask, epidemic outbreak

BACKGROUND: Many people have experienced novel coronavirus pneumonia since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. The Chinese government has encouraged people to wear face masks in public places; however, due to the large population, there may be a series of problems related to this recommendation, including shortages of masks and lack of an optimal disposal method for used masks. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of mask shortages and used masks in China. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was designed to assess the current status of mask shortages and used masks. The differences among groups were analyzed with chi-square tests. RESULTS: The constituent ratio of those who reuse masks was 61%. Obtaining masks from the drugstore was reported to be very difficult due to high demand and short supply, and approximately 1/3 of the respondents purchased expensive masks. Most people know how to properly handle used masks, and only 7% of them casually discard masks. However, 50% of respondents have seen others throw away used masks at will. A further subgroup analysis showed that respondents in Central China tended to use masks repeatedly, as did medical personnel. Females, people living in the central region, and medical personnel may find it more difficult to purchase masks in drugstores. Non-medical personnel may be more likely to buy expensive masks. Females, people living in the western region, and medical personnel may be more likely to know how to properly handle used masks and not to discard used masks at will. Medical personnel may be more likely to observe others discarding used masks at will. CONCLUSION: In response to COVID-19, the public should be encouraged to use face masks and are advised not to reuse or throw away masks at will due to safety concerns.