PROVO, Utah – Whether or not to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic has been a hot topic in Utah and in the United States.
A project at Brigham Young University aims to “make sense” of the research available on whether masks make a difference and, if so, which are the most effective.
While science points to evidence that a mask can help mitigate the spread of the disease, others feel that it is a violation of their personal rights and the freedom to be asked to wear a mask.
Governor Gary Herbert has so far not implemented a statewide mask mandate, saying he hopes common sense will motivate Utahns to wear a mask.
Some cities and counties have implemented guidelines that require wearing masks in public when social distancing cannot be achieved, and many major retailers will no longer allow customers in stores unless they are wearing a mask.
A four-member team of scientists “felt the responsibility of answering technical questions asked by friends and family.”
They collected and read more than 115 scientific studies on COVID-19. These studies were conducted by independent groups from across the United States and the world. The team says it did its best to accurately reflect the scientific evidence, noting where it is solid and where there is still uncertainty.
There are three sections, with increasing levels of detail:
- An executive summary.
- A list of common questions.
- A deep dive.
The following are the key findings in the executive summary. To view Q&A and deep dive segments, as well as footnotes for all source material, click here. The deep immersion segment compares masks including N95, cloth and surgical masks.
Executive Summary:
In the first months of the pandemic, there was scientific uncertainty about the usefulness of public masking. The contradictory orientation was given by various official sources.
- There is now compelling evidence from multiple controlled experiments and field observations that the use of masks reduces COVID-19 transmission for health workers and the public. Most of this evidence is specific to COVID-19 and has emerged in recent months.
- Masks prevent infected people from transmitting the virus to others by trapping respiratory droplets (small moisture particles) that are produced when we cough, talk, and breathe. Cloth masks can stop 90% or more of the spread of the virus-carrying droplets. There is some evidence that cloth masks also protect the user from infection, although this is less safe.
- The masks are highly safe, with only minor and rare side effects. In addition to many medical studies, public masking has been shown to be safe among children, adults, and the elderly in cultures where this practice has long been common. However, some sensitive people should not wear masks, such as those with compromised respiratory systems and people who cannot remove or adjust their own masks (children under the age of 2 and people with severe disabilities).
- Researchers from hospitals, universities, the private sector and government agencies have concluded that skins could be one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to stop COVID-19 and accelerate economic recovery. However, there is universal agreement that masking alone will not be enough to stop the pandemic. Masking is most effective when combined with physical distancing, frequent hand washing, rapid testing, and coordinated contact tracing.
