The importance of face-masks

Cloth face coverings, even homemade masks made of the correct material, are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19, for the wearer and those around him/her, a study by the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science of the Oxford University has found.

“The evidence is clear that people should wear masks to reduce virus transmission and protect themselves, with most countries recommending the public to wear them. Yet, clear policy recommendations that the public should broadly wear them has been unclear and inconsistent in some countries such as England,” said the Director of the Leverhulme Centre and author of the study, Prof. Melinda Mills.

Face masks need to be seen as part of ‘policy packages’ with other measures such as social distancing and hand hygiene, the study emphasized, adding that the public is confused about wearing face masks and coverings because they have heard the scientific evidence is inconclusive and advice has changed. People also feared they might be competing for scarce PPE resources and they need clear advice on what to wear, when to wear them and how to wear them

The study showed that some coverings are not as effective as others. Loosely woven fabrics, such as scarves have been shown to be the least effective. Attention must also be placed on how well it fits on the face and whether it should loop around the ears or around the back of the neck for better coverage.