Deborah Brakely, M.Ed., R.C.C. has written a comprehensive summary outlining the evidence regarding the issues of wearing facial coverings, including N95s, as protection from SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza virus. There is a significant lack of evidence to support their use as protection against respiratory viruses. There are also a number of concerns regarding potential harms from wearing them. Public policy regarding mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have been based on assumptions of what may be true rather than on current and previous quality evidence related to their actual effectiveness.
