In December 2019, the world has seen the appearance of a new respiratory virus that belongs to the Coronavirus family called SARS Cov2. This virus is highly contagious and at that point, there was no treatment or vaccine available against it.
The medical staff resorted to the use of personal protective equipment such as face masks to protect against Covid-19.
Soon, the use of facemasks became mandatory for individuals in many countries around the world and it is no longer restricted to medical personnel only.
However, in the light of the use of facemasks, which seems to be necessary, several questions arise concerning the benefits and risks associated with wearing these masks.
This review aims to clarify the protective role of facemasks against the spread of Sars-cov-2 and to focus on the risks that may pose to humans.
Our study shows that wearing protective masks is beneficial to protect against the spread of covid-19 in two ways, directly by limiting the diffusion of aerosols, and indirectly by reducing the face touching.
On the other hand, wearing face masks for long periods of time can affect the cardiopulmonary activity, lead to skin problems, such as(itching, rashes, burns, acne), or ocular problems, and headache, not to mention the impact on interpersonal communication by affecting the perception of voices on one side and the perception of faces and emotions on the other side.
In order to benefit from the advantages of masks while avoiding the risks that may be associated with their use, the general population must be educated on the proper way to wear these medical devices.
Key words: Benefit, COVID-19, Effect, Masks, Risk
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