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A study has confirmed the protective effect of masks against the corona virus. The general obligation to wear a mouth and nose protection, for example when shopping or using public transportation, apparently contributes significantly to the containment of the corona pandemic, the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz announced on Monday.
Scientists from four universities compared the development of infection figures in Jena, Thuringen, Germany, with those of comparable cities where masks were only introduced later. Jena was the first major city to make the wearing of a mouth and nose mask compulsory as early as April 6, and thus much earlier than in all other districts and independent cities in Germany. As a result, the number of registered infections in Jena rose only slightly.
According to the researchers’ calculations, “there is a significant gap between the number of cases in Jena and the comparison group without compulsory masks”. 20 days after the introduction of compulsory masks in Jena, the total number of Covid-19 cases registered there had only risen from 142 to 158, whereas in the comparison model it had risen from 143 to 205.
In a second step, the researchers investigated the development of the case numbers in the cities and districts that introduced compulsory masks on 22 April with the case numbers of the municipalities that introduced compulsory masks on 27 April or later. Here, too, significant differences can be seen.
“In summary, it can be said that the introduction of compulsory masks in the respective districts has contributed to a slowdown in the spread of Covid-19,” explained Klaus Wälde from the University of Mainz. This result agrees with the assessment of epidemiologists and virologists, according to which a mask inhibits the flow of air when speaking and thus reduces the transmission of infectious particles.
- Hector Pascua
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