Face masks suitable for preventing COVID-19 and pollen allergy. A study in the exposure chamber

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the population in Germany has been asked to wear face masks in public areas. The masks are accepted by the public. People with a pollen allergy have an interest in knowing whether masks can also provide protection against pollen and thus prevent symptoms even without medication. METHOD: In order to evaluate the potential ‘antipollen effect’ of face masks, 14 adults with confirmed grass pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were exposed to grass pollen for a period of two hours following a standardised protocol. The test was conducted outside of the grass pollen season. The subjects wore either no mask, a medical mask or a FFP2 mask. RESULTS: Subjects wearing either mask were clearly able to avoid both nasal and conjunctival symptoms. There were no significant differences between the two masks in terms of effect. Mask wearing to prevent pollen exposure clearly supports overall well-being. CONCLUSION: Wearing a mask during pollen season can be recommended as an effective nondrug option for people with a pollen allergy. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s40629-021-00180-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.