Public health officials have been constantly urging people to wear masks when they go out in public in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Researchers at Yale University looked at the growth rate and death rate of COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus, where people commonly wear masks, such as Japan and South Korea.
They compared those rates with the rates of nations where using a mask is not the norm, such as Italy.
The researchers were surprised to find that masks reduced the growth and death rate of COVID-19 by 10 percent, which was above the impact of other preventive measures, such as staying at home and closing schools and workplaces.
“We find that this policy could have very large benefits, but that it should be coupled with policies that protect and increase the availability of medical masks for frontline healthcare workers,” the researchers wrote.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump discussed facial masks as a way to prevent the spread of the virus with his advisors at the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing. However, he stopped short of calling for all U.S. citizens to wear them in public.
He said people could go ahead and wear protective coverings such as scarves or bandanas if they want to.
“A recommendation is coming out, but I’ll say this: They [Americans] can pretty much decide for themselves,” said Trump.
Infectious disease expert at Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Rochelle Walensky said it is important for people to understand that wearing a mask does not get them out of social distancing.
“The mask would be in addition,” she said, “If you are going to do an essential activity – go get your prescriptions from the drugstore – then, in that case, one would put on a mask.”
“I also want to remind people, masks are acts of altruism,” Dr. Walensky continued. “You are not protecting yourself by wearing a mask from someone else. You are protecting someone else from something you might transmit to them, asymptomatically and unknowingly.”
Public health officials are putting an official recommendation on hold about wearing masks in public due to fear of wiping out the already dropping supply of disposable masks for health workers.
That’s why the Yale researchers said any policy adopted nationally needs to stress the use of cloth masks, such as bandanas. Dr. Walensky also stressed that point. She said, “I would urge people when they’re putting on the mask to make sure that it’s one that’s the kind that’s made at home, maybe a handkerchief or bandana, that wouldn’t detract from the critical PPE that’s needed in the hospital.”
