Mask wearing in community settings reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Leech, Gavin; Rogers-Smith, Charlie; Monrad, Joshua Teperowski; Sandbrink, Jonas B.; Snodin, Benedict E. K.; Zinkov, Robert; Rader, Benjamin; Brownstein, John S.; Gal, Yarin; Bhatt, Samir; Sharma, Mrinank; Mindermann, Sören; Brauner, Jan Markus; Aitchison, Laurence

doi:10.1073/pnas.2119266119

Cited by 79 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Other results are coherent with results obtained on other research that analyzed confinement impact, [78] Face Mask use, [50,73,[78][79][80][81] School reopening [78,82], or closing nightlife. [78]…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Modeling SARS‐CoV‐2 True Infections in Catalonia through a Digital Twin

Casas

Subirana

Carrasco

2023

Advcd Theory and Sims

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A dynamic view of the evolution of the infections of SARS-CoV-2 in Catalonia using a Digital Twin approach that forecasts the true infection curve is presented. The forecast model incorporates the vaccination process, the confinement, and the detection rate, and virtually allows to consider any nonpharmaceutical intervention, enabling to understand their effects on the disease's containment while forecasting the trend of the pandemic. A continuous validation process of the model is performed using real data and an optimization model that automatically provides information regarding the effects of the containment actions on the population. To simplify this validation process, a formal graphical language that simplifies the interaction with the different specialists and an easy modification of the model parameters are used. The Digital Twin of the pandemic in Catalonia provides a forecast of the future trend of the SARS-CoV-2 spread and information regarding the true cases and effectiveness of the NPIs to control the SARS-CoV-2 spread over the population. This approach can be applied easily to other regions and can become an excellent tool for decision-making.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Modeling SARS‐CoV‐2 True Infections in Catalonia through a Digital Twin

Casas

Subirana

Carrasco

2023

Advcd Theory and Sims

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“…As argued by Leech et al (2022), this effect size is likely to be underestimated for a number of reasons.…”

Section: Appendix 3: Non-pharmaceutical Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, many individual studies were underpowered but the results were consistent across studies (see Figure 2 in Li et al 2022). For COVID-19, a metaanalysis of the impact of mask mandates estimated a 25% reduction in transmission rates, comparing transmission levels predicted if everyone were in the class that self-report wearing masks “most of the time in some public places” to that if no one wore masks (Leech et al 2022). Importantly, the authors showed that the lifting or imposition of mandates rarely had dramatic immediate effects on mask wearing, emphasizing that mandates are a poor proxy for mask wearing.…”

Section: Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, the authors showed that the lifting or imposition of mandates rarely had dramatic immediate effects on mask wearing, emphasizing that mandates are a poor proxy for mask wearing. Their analysis thus benefited from a global analysis of trends in mask-wearing behavior around the time of mandates by incorporating data from a survey of masking behaviour among nearly 20 million individuals. As argued by Leech et al (2022), this effect size is likely to be underestimated for a number of reasons. First, the study period (1 May – 1 September 2020) occurred when cloth masks predominated, because high-quality masks were largely unavailable outside of health care settings.…”

Section: Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Endemic means change as SARS-CoV-2 evolves

Otto,

MacPherson,

Colijn

2023

Preprint

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SummaryCOVID-19 has become endemic, with dynamics that reflect the waning of immunity and re-exposure, by contrast to the epidemic phase driven by exposure in immunologically naïve populations. Endemic does not, however, mean constant. Further evolution of SARS-CoV-2, as well as changes in behaviour and public health policy, continue to play a major role in the endemic load of disease and mortality. In this paper, we analyse evolutionary models to explore the impact that newly arising variants can have on the short-term and longer-term endemic load, characterizing how these impacts depend on the transmission and immunological properties of variants. We describe how evolutionary changes in the virus will increase the endemic load most for persistently immune-escape variants, by an intermediate amount for more transmissible variants, and least for transiently immune-escape variants. Balancing the tendency for evolution to favour variants that increase the endemic load, we explore the impact of vaccination strategies and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) that can counter these increases in the impact of disease. We end with some open questions about the future of COVID-19 as an endemic disease.

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“…According to a recent systematic review of the literature, wearing a mask is associated with an almost 50% reduction in the incidence of COVID-19 ( 3 ). Furthermore, the mean mask-wearing levels observed in a large survey from regions across six continents has made it possible to estimate a 19% decrease in the reproduction number ( 4 ). The widespread use of surgical masks is therefore essential for protecting the population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bornand

Letourneux

Deschanvres

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionAlthough one of the most prominent interventions against COVID-19, face masks seem poorly adopted by the general population. A growing body of literature has found that using face masks has social meaning. This qualitative study assessed the perceptions, representations and practices of mask wearing in the general population.MethodsA qualitative survey by short semi-structured walking interviews was carried out from April to December 2021 in 11 cities in France's Pays de la Loire region. Study locations were selected for their varied geographical, social, and economic characteristics, with urbanized and rural areas. Four domains linked to perceptions of masks and wearing them were explored: (i) evolution in mask wearing, (ii) decision-making methods for wearing and not wearing; (iii) incorporating the mask into way of life; (iv) projecting into the future.ResultsA total of 116 people were interviewed. Masks marked a shift from the ordinary world to the pandemic. Overall, interviewees considered masks an obstacle to breathing, communication, and social interactions, leading to establishing strategies circumventing the mask mandate. Poor attention was paid to their medical usefulness as an obligatory clothing accessory. Mask-wearing decisions were driven by social relations, common sense, and vulnerability. The greater the feeling of security (i.e., being with close relatives), the less it was worn or worn properly, with decreased attention to others and their health. Most participants did not remember learning to wear a mask. Some were convinced that mask-wearing could not be learned (experiential knowledge). Institutions (school and work) played a central role by facilitating incorporation of masks into daily life.ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the need to reinforce the individual medical values of face masks to prevent COVID-19. Ambitious education and training programmes should be planned to learn how and when to wear masks. Institutions (work and school) may be critical for this purpose.

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Mask wearing in community settings reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Cited by 79 publications

References 53 publications

Modeling SARS‐CoV‐2 True Infections in Catalonia through a Digital Twin

Modeling SARS‐CoV‐2 True Infections in Catalonia through a Digital Twin

Endemic means change as SARS-CoV-2 evolves

Social representations of mask wearing in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic

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