Should you wear a face mask? Medical authorities have sent confusing messages.
Mask wearing is now mandatory in many workplaces and public spaces, but how much good does it do? The science is inconclusive, but probably not much.
A study published in Nature Medicine in April looked at 246 people with acute upper respiratory illness and found that wearing a surgical mask did decrease spread of genetic material from respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses.
The researchers concluded: "We also demonstrated the efficacy of surgical masks to reduce coronavirus detection and viral copies in large respiratory droplets and in aerosols.... This has important implications for control of COVID-19, suggesting that surgical face masks could be used by ill people to reduce onward transmission."
What about asymptomatic patients? The CDC based its revised mask recommendation on studies that found asymptomatic spread was far more common than had been thought.
Coronaviruses often enter the body through the eyes, and frequent hand and face washing and social distancing is much more effective than masks at preventing that.
Wearing a mask seems harmless, but it could provide a false sense of security, leading people to take fewer precautions.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-a-face-mask-protect-you-11589842953?mod=hp_opin_pos_3
Mask wearing is now mandatory in many workplaces and public spaces, but how much good does it do? The science is inconclusive, but probably not much.
A study published in Nature Medicine in April looked at 246 people with acute upper respiratory illness and found that wearing a surgical mask did decrease spread of genetic material from respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses.
The researchers concluded: "We also demonstrated the efficacy of surgical masks to reduce coronavirus detection and viral copies in large respiratory droplets and in aerosols.... This has important implications for control of COVID-19, suggesting that surgical face masks could be used by ill people to reduce onward transmission."
What about asymptomatic patients? The CDC based its revised mask recommendation on studies that found asymptomatic spread was far more common than had been thought.
Coronaviruses often enter the body through the eyes, and frequent hand and face washing and social distancing is much more effective than masks at preventing that.
Wearing a mask seems harmless, but it could provide a false sense of security, leading people to take fewer precautions.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-a-face-mask-protect-you-11589842953?mod=hp_opin_pos_3
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