The use of PARES masks prevents the spread of Covid-19 and TRIPLES the chance to keep the coronavirus R rate below 1, according to a study
- American researchers gave a questionnaire to more than 300,000 people in 50 states
- The 10% increase in people wearing masks makes 3x more likely that R is less than 1
- Experts add that wearing a mask does not mean that social distance is not necessary
Wearing face masks is an effective way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, concluded a landmark study.
Researchers in the U.S. found that a 10 percent increase in self-reported mask use is associated with a three-fold increase in the chances of keeping the R number below 1.
R is the number of people to whom an infected person will transmit the virus, on average. When the R value is less than 1, it means that the epidemic is decreasing.
However, scientists caution that while facial coverage can help control Covid-19 transmission in the community, it should not replace other measures of coronavirus, such as social detachment.
The horizontal line in the colored box represents the average R rate for coronavirus when compared to how many respondents in an area said they were “very likely” to wear a mask when visiting friends or family and going to the supermarket
This map shows the percentage of each geographic region in the USA, showing the percentage of people who claim to be ‘very likely’ or ‘unlikely’ to wear a mask when visiting family or friends
American experts said their findings, published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, suggest that communities with a high number of masks and physical distance are the most likely to control transmission.
They used a computer model to determine what interventions are needed to reduce the R rate below 1, which is necessary for the pandemic to be considered ‘under control’.
Scientists have found that the chances of this happening increase 3.53 times if there is a 10 percent increase in mask use in the population, regardless of what the baseline is.
Ben Rader, from Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston University, co-author of the study, said: ‘An important finding in this research is that wearing a mask is not a substitute for physical distance’.
The researchers used a web-based survey to collect data on facial coverage habits from more than 300,000 people in all 50 U.S. states and Washington DC between June 3 and July 27, 2020.
They compared this to anonymous data from Google smartphone users showing patterns of movement. This information was shared only after users’ consent.
In the photo, the percentage of individuals who claim to be ‘very likely’ to wear a mask to go to the supermarket and with family or friends in the USA. The more yellow / green an area is, the more people in that region say they are “very likely”
The survey found that a 10 percent increase in the number of people using coverings resulted in a chance that R would be below 1 more than triple (stock)
The researchers say the study is observational and therefore is unable to prove a direct causal link between wearing the mask and transmission.
Most people in the study said it was ‘very likely’ to wear a face mask at the supermarket (84.6 percent), but less than half (40.2 percent) wear one when visiting the family.
Very few respondents reported that they ‘probably would not wear a mask’ (4.7 percent).
Self-reported mask use was highest among people aged 65 and over (48 percent) and varied in the US, with the highest proportion of reported mask use found along the U.S. coast and southern border, as well as in cities .
The researchers say it is possible that people questioned as part of the study are also more likely to engage in other behaviors that reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection, such as increased hand washing, which was not addressed in the study. study.
Dr. Christina Astley, clinic and epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and co-author of the study, said: ‘Our findings suggest that widespread use of face masks may help control Sars-Cov-2 (the virus which causes Covid- 19) transmission.
“The world is facing a more transmissible coronavirus strain, hospitals are struggling with new cases and vaccination programs are still being implemented.
‘Interventions are needed now to ease the burden on our health systems.
“This research provides additional evidence that these interventions must include wearing masks to protect us and also physical detachment.”