Half were given surgical masks and asked to wear them when leaving their home; Others were told not to wear masks in public.
At the time, 2 percent of the Danish population was infected – much lower than this rate in many places in the United States and Europe. Social distance and frequent hand washing were common, but masks were not.
About 4,860 participants completed the study. The researchers hoped that the mask would reduce the infection rate by half. Instead, 42 people in the mask group, or 1.8 percent, became infected, compared to 53 or 2.1 percent in the unmask group. The difference was not statistically significant.
“Our study gives an indication of how much you benefit from wearing a mask,” said Dr. Henning Bundgaard, a study and cardiologist at the University of Copenhagen. “Not a lot.”
Researchers at Telemark Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health in Norway. Matt explained to Kal Kala Gar. Studies show that “however, there may be no symbolic effect,” he wrote in an email, “the effect of wearing a mask will not reduce the risk”.
Critics were quick to note the limitations of the study. Among them: The incidence of infections in Denmark was lower in many places than it is today, meaning that it may be difficult for wearers to determine the effectiveness of the mask. Participants reported their own test results; The use of masks could not be independently verified, and users may not have worn them properly.
There is no doubt that masks act as resource controls to prevent people from infecting anyone, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, chief executive of the advocacy group Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the CDC. Weaknesses of research.
