
Flu Mask Recommendations Based on Flawed Study
MedPageToday -- In a surprise twist, authors here retracted findings of a study that found N95 respirators were better than surgical masks at preventing flu. After a re-analysis prompted by questions from reviewers, the findings were no longer significant, said Holly Seale of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The original study, presented earlier this year, formed the basis of some recommendations on the use of masks in a health care setting. The retraction -- near the end of a presentation at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America -- prompted a "rush to the microphones" by those involved in flu prevention, one expert said. The findings appeared to differ -- not only from previous reports, but also from the...