Australian researchers have retracted their recommendation that heath care workers treating H1N1 patients should use N 95 respirators. The retraction was made at the annual meeting of Infectious Diseases Society of America after a reanalysis prompted by questions from peer reviewers.

That retraction and the publication of a Canadian study in JAMA that found no difference between the two masks has led to confusion over the best way to guard against transmission of the H1N1 virus.

Read more about the retracted study on MedPage.

Read the study published in the October issue of JAMA suggesting that surgical masks may offer similar protection against H1N1 transmission as N95 respirators.