Evolution of WHO COVID-19 mask guidelines amid intense demands for rapid advice

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003778
• Publication Date: 2024-11-08T18:32:07Z
• Authors: Nathan Ford; Hannah Hamilton H...; Roger Chou; Vicky Willet; May Chu; Mitchell J. Schwaber; Kathleen Dunn; João Paulo Toledo; Alice Simniceanu; Madison Moon; Rebekah Thomas; Benedetta Allegranzi; April Baller
• Keywords: Guideline; Pandemic

During a health emergency, there is an urgent need to rapidly develop guidelines that meet minimum quality standards, as exemplified by the development of WHO on mask use in care and community settings during COVID-19 pandemic. Between January 2020 October 2023, developed 21 guideline updates masks part infection prevention control (IPC) practices. Guideline developers had deal with ever-growing volume evidence variable quality. Initially, indirect drawn from other severe respiratory illnesses established requirements for IPC were used. As direct began emerge, commissioned living systematic review June 2020, which formed basis evidence-to-decision making. more became available, additional considerations incorporated into process recommendation formulation, including harms, acceptability, feasibility resource use. Target populations expanded include general public, children. A broad range disciplines supported development, IPC, epidemiology, infectious diseases, occupational health, engineering, pneumology, paediatrics, water, sanitation hygiene, well civil society representatives. Additional expertise was engaged areas ventilation aerobiology expand perspectives regarding modes transmission. Despite challenges, experience regularly updating advice emergency response has shown it possible apply standards ensuring methodology trustworthy transparent, increasing rigor over time improves. Overall, developing pandemic underscores importance adapting evolving evidence, incorporating diverse perspectives, maintaining transparency ensure rigorous return trustworthiness effectiveness.