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Background: Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the widespread use of Respiratory Protective Devices (RPD) is recommended to prevent the spread of infection. This recommendation involves not only healthcare workers but other category of workers and the general population as well, in public places, especially where social distancing is difficult to maintain. The use of facemasks should not cause physical impairment to individuals, especially for people suffering from lung and heart diseases., Objectives: To evaluate the impact of RPDs on the respiratory function in healthy and asthmatic subjects, in order to identify the fitness for use mainly, but not only for, occupational purposes during COVID-19 outbreak., Methods: Ten individuals were included, three of which affected by asthma and three current smokers. A Respiratory Functional Test (RFT) was performed at three times: at the beginning of the work shift 1) without wearing and 2) wearing surgical masks, and 3) after 4 hours of usual working activities wearing the masks. Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) samples were also tested before the first test and the third test., Results: Observed RFTs and ABG parameters did not suffer significant variations, but for Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (P=0.002). Data on asthmatic subjects and smokers were comparable to healthy subjects., Discussion: Our results suggest that wearing a surgical mask does not produce significant respiratory impairment in healthy subjects nor in subjects with asthma. Four hours of continuing mask-wearing do not cause a reduction in breathing parameters. Fitness for use in subjects with more severe conditions has to be evaluated individually. Our adapted technique for RFTs could be adopted for the individual RPDs fitness evaluation.

Summary: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease (COVID-19) represent a global health emergency that requires integrated and multidisciplinary intervention by international medical and scientific communities, in support of the national governments. In Italy many public health measures have been adopted to contain the transmission of the disease, which also involved occupational physicians. The regulatory path has had a rapid evolution due to the trend of infections and progressive scientific evidence: the most recent Circular from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies and the Ministry of Health provides for the termination of the "exceptional health surveillance" activity, the management and protection of fragile individuals by activating the medical examination on request of the employee and excludes the old age, without comorbidities, as a specific condition of risk of serious complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For preventive and insurance purposes, COVID-19 usually represents a generic biological risk, for which the same measures must be adopted for the entire population. In the Inail Circular no. 13 of April 3, 2020, however, it is stated that professional categories that perform front office duties are considered exposed to a higher risk, as well as, health professionals, can be considered exposed to a specific risk. From January 1st to July 31st 2020, 51,363 cases of infection from SARS-CoV-2 were reported to INAIL as an accident. In the same period INAIL noticed a decrease in reports of accidents and occupational disease overall, correlated to the effects of lockdown and smart working., Competing Interests: The authors of this article have no conflict of interests to disclose., (Copyright© by GIMLE.)

Summary: No abstract available., Competing Interests: E.P. has acted as Court-appointed expert witness and as consultant to parties in asbestos litigations. M.L.D.P., M.D., A.G., D.L. declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright© by Aracne Editrice, Roma, Italy.)