Effects of Prolonged Use of Face Masks among Healthcare Workers Working in a Tertiary level Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

COVID-19 is a pandemic threat that affects every aspect of life on the planet. Hundreds of thousands of cases were
diagnosed around the world in a short period of time. Health workers are critical to the health-care system and play a
critical role during global pandemics. They are also a high-risk group that must wear a face mask for extended periods
of time. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged facemask use on healthcare workers. A
descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal. The
information from 335 healthcare personnel was collected using a self-administered questionnaire technique. This study
included all of the hospital’s healthcare workers from various departments. The descriptive analysis was carried out using
SPSS statistical software, version 26. Out of 355 respondents, the majority of responders (69.9%) were under 30 years old,
with a mean age of 29.03 (± 4.7) years. Regarding the effects of wearing a face mask for a longer length of time, 99.70 % of
the health workers experienced some sort of effect. The most prevalent effects were pain behind the ear (84.2%), difficult
during exertion (71.0%), headache (57.6%), and the least common was alteration in sense of smell (15.2 %). According to
the findings, almost all of the participants experienced some form of effect from wearing a face mask, hence necessary
action by concerned authorities and participants is required to minimize these effects.