The controversy over
wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As most health
organizations and medical experts recommend masking to stop the
spread of the virus, some people still refuse to follow
recommendations, and even directives, that they should mask in
public.
I believe in wearing masks
to stop the coronavirus. In fact, I consider wearing a mask to be
part of my duty as a caring person and a functioning citizen. Allow
me to share some findings from Science Direct and Elsevier global
analytics to support my opinion.
Research findings suggest
that face mask use should be as nearly universal (i.e., nation-wide)
as possible and implemented without delay, even if most masks are
homemade and of relatively low quality.
A report in the journal
Infectious Disease Modelling (sic)
concludes this about face masks:
“This measure could
contribute greatly to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, with the
benefit greatest in conjunction with other non-pharmaceutical
interventions that reduce community transmission. Despite
uncertainty, the potential for benefit, the lack of obvious harm, and
the precautionary principle lead us to strongly recommend as close to
universal (homemade, unless medical masks can be used without
diverting healthcare supply) mask use by the general public as
possible.”
(Steffen E. Eikenberry,
Marina Mancuso,Enahoro Iboi, Tin Phan, Keenan Eikenberry, Yang Kuang,
Eric Kostelich, Abba B. Gumel. “To mask or not to mask: Modeling
the potential for face mask use by the general public to curtail the
COVID-19 pandemic
Eikenberry
et al. found notably, masks are found to be useful with respect to
both preventing illness in healthy persons and preventing
asymptomatic transmission.
The study's hypothetical
mask adoption scenarios, for Washington and New York state, suggest
that immediate near universal (80%) adoption of moderately (50%)
effective masks could prevent on the order of 17–45% of projected
deaths over two months in New York, while decreasing the peak daily
death rate by 34–58%, absent other changes in epidemic dynamics.
The authors found even
very weak masks (20% effective) can still be useful if the underlying
transmission rate is relatively low or decreasing: In Washington,
where baseline transmission is much less intense, 80% adoption of
such masks could reduce mortality by 24–65% (and peak deaths
15–69%), compared to 2–9% mortality reduction in New York (peak
death reduction 9–18%).
Their results suggest use
of face masks by the general public is potentially of high value in
curtailing community transmission and the burden of the pandemic.
And,
the community-wide
benefits are likely to be greatest when face masks are used in
conjunction with other non-pharmaceutical practices (such as
social-distancing), and when adoption is nearly universal
(nation-wide) and compliance is high.
Other studies confirm
community-wide mask wearing may contribute to the control of COVID-19
by reducing the amount of emission of infected saliva and respiratory
droplets from individuals with subclinical or mild COVID-19.
(Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng et al. “The role of community-wide
wearing of face mask for control of coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) epidemic due to SARS-CoV-2.” Journal of
Infection, Volume 81, Issue 1. Pages 107-114. July 2020,
Finally, further studies
provide evidence that states in the US mandating use of face masks in
public had a greater decline in daily COVID-19 growth rates after
issuing these mandates compared to states that did not issue
mandates. These effects are observed conditional on other existing
social distancing measures and are independent of the CDC
recommendation to wear facial covers issued on April 3.
The
conclusion is that as countries worldwide and states begin to relax
social distancing restrictions and considering the high likelihood of
a second COVID-19 wave in the fall/winter, requiring use of face
masks in public might help in reducing COVID-19 spread.
Wei Lyu and George L.
Wehby. “Community Use Of Face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A
Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US.”
Health Affairs.
June 16, 2020.)
I will end my support with
these conclusions from Howard et al.
“The preponderance of
evidence indicates that mask wearing reduces the transmissibility per
contact by reducing transmission of infected droplets in both
laboratory and clinical contexts. Public mask wearing is most
effective at stopping spread of the virus when compliance is high.
“The decreased
transmissibility could substantially reduce the death toll and
economic impact while the cost of the intervention is low. Thus we
recommend the adoption of public cloth mask wearing, as an effective
form of source control, in conjunction with existing hygiene,
distancing, and contact tracing strategies. We recommend that public
officials and governments strongly encourage the use of widespread
face masks in public, including the use of appropriate regulation.”
(Howard, J.; Huang, A.;
Li, Z.; Tufekci, Z.; Zdimal, V.; van der Westhuizen, H.; von Delft,
A.; Price, A.; Fridman, L.; Tang, L.; Tang, V.; Watson, G.L.; Bax,
C.E.; Shaikh, R.; Questier, F.; Hernandez, D.; Chu, L.F.; Ramirez,
C.M.; Rimoin, A.W. “Face Masks Against COVID-19: An Evidence
Review.” Preprints 2020.)
Please, wear your mask.
Follow science, not rumors. And, don't cave to discomfort and
feelings of your inconvenience. Lives are in the balance.
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