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Post by Admin on Aug 10, 2020 12:26:07 GMT -7
Evidence is growing, but what will it take to prove masks slow the spread of COVID-19? www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/evidence-is-growing-but-what-will-it-take-to-prove-masks-slow-the-spread-of-covid-19/Modelers at the University of Washington and elsewhere are now leveraging the data that does exist to estimate how many lives might be saved if most people wear masks.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt anymore about the role of masks,” said Dr. Jared Baeten, vice dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health. Baeten was among those who initially questioned the value of masks for the general public, partly to preserve the supply for health care workers, partly because disease prevalence was low, and partly because he — like many other epidemiologists — mistakenly assumed the virus was mainly spread by people with symptoms, who were always advised to wear masks.
What changed his mind was the growing realization that people seem to be most contagious before they feel sick and that some infected people never develop symptoms at all.
“That was the real sea change,” Baeten said. If there’s no way to tell who’s infected, then it makes sense for everyone to wear masks to avoid spreading the virus to others.
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Post by clarise on Dec 27, 2020 20:21:54 GMT -7
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