TY - JOUR T1 - Mask-associated ‘de novo’ headache in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine JO - Occup Environ Med SP - 548 LP - 554 DO - 10.1136/oemed-2020-106956 VL - 78 IS - 8 AU - José María Ramirez-Moreno AU - David Ceberino AU - Alberto Gonzalez Plata AU - Belen Rebollo AU - Pablo Macias Sedas AU - Roshan Hariramani AU - Ana M Roa AU - Ana B Constantino Y1 - 2021/08/01 UR - http://oem.bmj.com/content/78/8/548.abstract N2 - Objectives The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed care activities of health professionals. We analysed the possible association between the appearance of ‘de novo’ headache according to the type of mask used, the related factors and the impact of the cephalalgia on health professionals.Methods Cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital in Extremadura, Spain. We provided an online questionnaire to healthcare workers during the period of maximum incidence of COVID-19 in our setting.Results The subjects are n=306, 244 women (79.7%), with an average age of 43 years (range 23–65). Of the total, 129 (42.2%) were physicians, 112 (36.6%) nurses and 65 (21.2%) other health workers. 208 (79.7%) used surgical masks and 53 (20.3%) used filter masks. Of all those surveyed, 158 (51.6%) presented ‘de novo’ headache. The occurrence of a headache was independently associated with the use of a filter mask, OR 2.14 (95% CI 1.07 to 4.32); being a nurse, OR 2.09 (95% CI 1.18 to 3.72) or another health worker, OR 6.94 (95% CI 3.01 to 16.04); or having a history of asthma, OR 0.29 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.89). According to the type of mask used, there were differences in headache intensity, and the impact of a headache in the subjects who used a filter mask was worse in all the aspects evaluated.Conclusion The appearance of ‘de novo’ headache is associated with the use of filter masks and is more frequent in certain healthcare workers, causing a greater occupational, family, personal and social impact.All data relevant to the study are included in the article. No obstante, all the data with which this work has been prepared are available to any researcher upon reasonable and understandable request to the corresponding author. ER -