A report, published in
Nature journal in April, said: “Face masks significantly reduced detection of influenza virus RNA in respiratory droplets and coronavirus RNA in aerosols, with a trend toward reduced detection of coronavirus RNA in respiratory droplets.”
Another study used high-speed video to track droplets and found even holding a washcloth over the mouth was effective in blocking the droplets (similarly
a microbiologist shared photographs of bacteria culture spread with and without a mask).
An international report published in
The Lancet on 3 June, which analysed data from 172 studies in 16 countries, found that by wearing a face mask
there is just a 3% chance of catching COVID-19. And
a study by Cambridge University, published on 10 June, says even basic homemade masks can reduce transmission – and could even help prevent a second wave.
A
separate study, conducted by the University of Edinburgh, and published on 2 July also suggested that wearing a face covering could help reduce the spread of coronavirus from people who are carriers. The research showed that wearing a covering over the mouth and nose can reduce the forward distance travelled by an exhaled breath by more than 90 per cent.
On 8 July, Oxford University’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science,
published a study, with the message: “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 them” and warned “face masks and coverings work – act now”.
