Masking the 6-Minute Walking Test in the COVID-19 Era

A study is presented which investigated whether two types of face mask modified the walking distance during the 6-MWT among survivors of COVID-19. The main finding of this study is that the mean difference in the 6-MWD when using either a surgical or N95 face mask compared with not wearing a face mask was -0.65 m, with a broad 95% limit of agreement; 84% of the subjects had agreement within MCSL. Surgical or N95-type face masks can be used during the 6-MWT, especially among those recovering from COVID-19, and the results regarding the meters walked as well as other variables, such as Sp02, HR, and degree of dyspnea, are similar to those obtained without using a face mask.