Face mask modeling study

A modeling study found that when face masks were used all of the time in public settings, the effective reproductive number of SARS-CoV-2 fell below 1. Even when the researchers assumed that masks were only 50% effective at capturing the virus, they were still effective at limiting community transmission when done in combination with periods of lockdown and physical distancing practices. The authors conclude in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A that their analyses “provide support for the immediate, universal adoption of facemasks by the public.”

Mask modeling study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A