The Case for Masks

Why everyone should wear a face mask when in public to help stop Covid-19

Widespread and consistent use of cloth face coverings by all people when in public, as is recommended by the CDC, could rapidly drop the virus’s R0 (reproduction number) to less than 1.0, effectively stopping the virus in its tracks.

 

How does this work?  It’s surprisingly simple. 

Masks block spit.

 

Droplets ejected by virus carriers are a primary route of transmission of the virus.  Wearing a mask blocks the small droplets that are ejected by the wearer when coughing, sneezing, and even just speaking.

 

From the New York Times article “A User’s Guide to Face Masks” published on April 17, 2020:

 

“An estimated 25 percent of people with coronavirus feel perfectly fine and don’t know they are infected and could be contagious.  And guess what? You could very well be one of them! That’s why you should wear a mask to protect other people from your stealth germs.”

 

Jeremy Howard, Distinguished Research Scientist at the University of San Francisco, published his article  “Masks help stop the spread of coronavirus – the science is simple and I’m one of 100 experts urging governors to require public mask-wearing” on May 14, 2020 in The ConversationUS.com.  He says:

 

“There are numerous studies that suggest if 80% of people wear a mask in public, then COVID-19 transmission could be halted. Until a vaccine or a cure for COVID-19 is discovered, cloth face masks might be the most important tool we currently have to fight the pandemic.”