Face masks have been everywhere around the world since Covid-19. It won’t be wrong to say masks became a symbol of pandemic. Government and officials encouraged people to wear masks, and some countries even imposed fines. Over time, many countries lifted the mask mandate as covid no longer remained an acute emergency.
However, even after 27 months, the use of masks against SARS-Cov2 is still a controversial subject. Many researchers claim fabric and surgical masks don’t control the transmission of covid-19. In fact, the new evidence suggests that wearing a mask can actually be dangerous for people. Tom Jefferson, a medically trained epidemiologist, in an interview, states that putting masks on and off repeatedly can put people at risk of catching infections that spread through conduct.
Here are some of the findings that suggest the ineffectiveness of masks against Covid-19:
- A randomized controlled trial conducted in Denmark assessed the effectiveness of adding mask recommendation to prevent covid-19 infection. A total of 3032 people were recommended to wear masks, and 2990 participants were included in the control group. Forty-two people from the test group while 53 people from the control group got infected with SARS-Cov-2. This research suggests that the recommendation to wear a mask in public doesn’t reduce Covid-19 infection incidence.
- Another article mentions that using masks against covid-19 is not based on sound science. The laboratory evidence suggests the face masks or coverings have no significant efficiency for filtration of smaller particles that may be responsible for the transmission of infection.
- Professor Youney from the department of infectious disease at the University of Sydney claims that face masks are only effective for as long as they are dry. As soon as the moisture gets accumulated, they start to pass on the droplets, and you would need to change the mask after 15-20 minutes.
- One more study assessed the effect of mask mandate on covid cases. The estimation of post-mandate cases in the non-mandate states was done by using data from neighboring mandate states. No significant association was found between the mask mandate and reduced transmission of Covid-19 in the united states.
References:
- Bundgaard, H., Bundgaard, J. S., Raaschou-Pedersen, D. E. T., von Buchwald, C., Todsen, T., Norsk, J. B., Pries-Heje, M. M., Vissing, C. R., Nielsen, P. B., Winsløw, U. C., Fogh, K., Hasselbalch, R., Kristensen, J. H., Ringgaard, A., Porsborg Andersen, M., Goecke, N. B., Trebbien, R., Skovgaard, K., Benfield, T., . . . Iversen, K. (2021).
- Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers. Annals of Internal Study Medicine, 174(3), 335–343. https://doi.org/10.7326/m20-6817
- COMMENTARY: Masks-for-all for COVID-19 not based on sound data. (n.d.). CIDRAP. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data
- Farce mask: it’s safe for only 20 minutes. (2003, April 27). The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/farce-mask-its-safe-for-only-20-minutes-20030427-gdgnyo.html
Guerra, D. D., & Guerra, D. J. (2021). Mask mandate and use efficacy for COVID-19 containment in US States. BMJ.
