{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T17:51:43Z","timestamp":1782841903922,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Public Health Surveill"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The rapid global spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has compelled national governments to issue guidance on the use of face masks for members of the general public. To date, no work has assessed how this guidance differs across governments.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study seeks to contribute to a rational and consistent global response to infectious disease by determining how guidelines differ across nations and regions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A content analysis of health agency mask guidelines on agency websites was performed in late March 2020 among 25 countries and regions with large numbers of COVID-19 cases. Countries and regions were assigned across the coding team by language proficiency, with Google Translate used as needed. When available, both the original and English language version of guidance were reviewed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>All examined countries and regions had some form of guidance online, although detail and clarity differed. Although 9 countries and regions recommended surgical, medical, or unspecified masks in public and poorly ventilated places, 16 recommended against people wearing masks in public. There were 2 countries that explicitly recommended against fabric masks. In addition, 12 failed to outline the minimum basic World Health Organization guidance for masks.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Online guidelines for face mask use to prevent COVID-19 in the general public are currently inconsistent across nations and regions, and have been changing often. Efforts to create greater standardization and clarity should be explored in light of the status of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/19501","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,18]],"date-time":"2020-05-18T14:13:47Z","timestamp":1589811227000},"page":"e19501","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Online National Health Agency Mask Guidance for the Public in Light of COVID-19: Content Analysis"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3272-9317","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Linnea","family":"Laestadius","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5632-1909","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6894-5535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ziyad","family":"Ben Taleb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7709-5392","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammad Ebrahimi","family":"Kalan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4632-0934","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Young","family":"Cho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4132-7283","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jennifer","family":"Manganello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6913e1"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2020.2565"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMc2001468"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21203\/rs.3.rs-16836\/v1"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajic.2005.08.018"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ccm.0b013e3181b9e8b3"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/15459620490433799"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2014-006577"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2013.43"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.idm.2020.04.001"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.m1435"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s2213-2600(20)30134-x"},{"key":"ref13","unstructured":"World Health OrganizationCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: when and how to use maskshttps:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019\/advice-for-public\/when-and-how-to-use-masks"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.11622\/smedj.2014037"},{"key":"ref15","unstructured":"Johns Hopkins UniversityCOVID-19 dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)https:\/\/coronavirus.jhu.edu\/map.html"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1353\/lib.2006.0053"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s1473-3099(12)70206-2"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jech.57.11.855"},{"key":"ref19","unstructured":"@Surgeon_GeneralTwitter20200229Seriously people- stop buying masks! They are not effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can\u2019t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk! http:\/\/bit.ly\/37Ay6Cmhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/Surgeon_General\/status\/1233725785283932160"},{"key":"ref20","unstructured":"@CDCgovTwitter20200328CDC does not have updated guidance scheduled to come out on this topic. See current CDC guidance regarding the use of facemasks: https:\/\/t.co\/DiX7VzdqDp?amp=1https:\/\/twitter.com\/CDCgov\/status\/1243947313715961857"},{"key":"ref21","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and PreventionRecommendation regarding the use of cloth face coverings, especially in areas of aignificant community-based transmissionhttps:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/prevent-getting-sick\/cloth-face-cover.html"},{"key":"ref22","unstructured":"@Surgeon_GeneralTwitter20200404#DYK? @CDCgov's recommendation on wearing a cloth face covering may help protect the most vulnerable from #COVID19. Here's how you can make one today, in just a few easy stepshttps:\/\/twitter.com\/Surgeon_General\/status\/1246428235883298816"},{"key":"ref23","unstructured":"US Food and Drug AdministrationFAQs on shortages of surgical masks and gowns during the COVID-19 pandemichttps:\/\/www.fda.gov\/medical-devices\/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control\/faqs-shortages-surgical-masks-and-gowns"},{"key":"ref24","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and PreventionStrategies for optimizing the supply of facemaskshttps:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/hcp\/ppe-strategy\/face-masks.html"},{"key":"ref25","unstructured":"CohnAThe Hill20200508Facebook, YouTube remove viral 'Plandemic' video that links face masks to getting sickhttps:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/technology\/496757-facebook-and-youtube-remove-viral-plandemic-video-that-links-face-masks-to"},{"key":"ref26","unstructured":"Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran20200415Homemade mask instructions"},{"key":"ref27","unstructured":"National Public Health Organization of Greece202005Fabric mask manufacturing process at home"},{"key":"ref28","unstructured":"World Health Organization20200311WHO characterizes COVID-19 as a pandemichttps:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019\/events-as-they-happen"}],"container-title":["JMIR Public Health and Surveillance"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/publichealth.jmir.org\/2020\/2\/e19501","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T17:25:58Z","timestamp":1782840358000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/publichealth.jmir.org\/2020\/2\/e19501\/"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,26]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/19501","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.2196\/preprints.19501","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2369-2960"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2369-2960","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,26]]}}}