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It estimated what would have happened if the transmission of the virus hadn’t been reduced, finding that 3.1 million deaths “have been averted owing to interventions since the beginning of the epidemic.” The estimate doesn’t account for behavior changes or the impact of overwhelmed health systems. For instance, a study published in Nature in June 2020 found that “major non-pharmaceutical interventions-and lockdowns in particular-have had a large effect on reducing transmission” in 11 European countries. There have been a lot of studies assessing whether and to what extent so-called “lockdowns” and various NPIs have been effective, and plenty of research that has concluded these measures can limit transmission, or reduce cases and deaths. But the WHO “recognizes that at certain points, some countries have had no choice but to issue stay-at-home orders and other measures, to buy time.” The more extreme measures - widespread business closures and stay-at-home orders, generally called “lockdowns,” though there’s no set definition - clearly came with economic and social costs, as the World Health Organization says. Without vaccines or evidence-based treatments, these non-pharmaceutical interventions, or NPIs, were the only public health measures available for months to combat the pandemic. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as the virus spread around the globe, many countries implemented restrictions on movement and social gatherings in an effort to flatten the curve - or reduce sharp spikes in caseloads to avoid overwhelming health care facilities. Layered, tightly woven cloth masks offer more protection, while well-fitting surgical masks and KN95 respirators provide even more protection and N95 respirators are the most protective. Loosely woven cloth masks are the least protective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear the most protective mask that fits well and can be worn consistently. Masks should not be viewed as foolproof, as no mask is thought to offer complete protection to the wearer or to others.

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Observational studies, while limited, have generally found mask-wearing to be associated with a reduced risk of contracting the virus or fewer COVID-19 cases in a community.Ī few randomized controlled trials have found that providing free masks and encouraging people to wear them results in a small to moderate reduction in transmission, although these results have not always been statistically significant. Lab tests, for example, show that certain masks and N95 respirators can partially block exhaled respiratory droplets or aerosols, which are thought to be the primary ways the virus spreads.

Multiple lines of evidence back the use of face masks to protect against the coronavirus, although some uncertainty remains as to how effective mask interventions are in preventing spread in the community.

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