What is it about?

Researchers observed 100 random people wearing masks in public indoor places. They found 73% wore masks incorrectly - 37% wore cloth masks, and 36% wore surgical masks too loose. Just 27% wore tight surgical masks covering the nose and mouth. None wore N95 masks. People were about 3 times more likely to wear masks wrong versus right. Masks only work if worn correctly. But most people wear cloth or loose masks that don't prevent the virus from spreading.

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Why is it important?

This is the first study measuring how people actually wear masks day-to-day. It shows most people wear masks in ways that don't prevent virus spread. This is important because it means mask mandates won't control pandemics as hoped. Messaging needs to improve to teach people to wear tight-fitting surgical or N95 masks. Without this, masks give a false sense of security but don't really stop viruses. This study provides key real-world data to guide mask policies during respiratory disease outbreaks.

Perspectives

I was motivated to do this research because of the ongoing debates about mask effectiveness. Supporters claim masks reduce transmission, while critics argue most real-world use is too loose or involves cloth to block viruses. I realized we lacked data on how people actually wear masks day-to-day. This study provides the first empirical measurements of public masking. The results were striking - almost 3 out of 4 people wore masks in ways public health officials say are ineffective. This shows why relying on masks to control pandemics doesn't work well outside of protected lab conditions. I hope these findings lead to more nuanced public health messaging on masks. Cloth or loose masks don't provide the protection people think. We must be honest about this and promote methods proven to reduce viral transmission. This study underscores the importance of using data rather than assumptions to guide health policies.

Thomas F Heston MD
University of Washington

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: To Mask or Not to Mask Correctly: An Empirical Look at Public Masking Behavior, Journal of Clinical Medical Research, August 2023, Athenaeum Scientific Publishers,
DOI: 10.46889/jcmr/2023.4214.
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