You Have To Live Your Life
A resource for COVID-19 research and information
Former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha
The Conversation
Masks work, our comprehensive review has found
Archive Link
It follows that we should not expect RCTs of badly designed masks, masks that don’t fit or masks that are worn only some of the time, to show an effect. Neither should we expect mere advice to wear masks to have any effect unless it is followed.
Trish Greenhalgh (Professor of Primary Care Sciences, University of Oxford), C Raina MacIntyre (Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC L3 Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney), David Fisman (Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, University of Toronto)
Date published: May 22, 2024
Date archived: May 23, 2024
Article on a study
Group of professionals
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The COVID-safe strategies Australian scientists are using to protect themselves from the virus
Archive Link
Some commentators have described this situation — the crashing of wave after wave of COVID-19, a steady drip, drip, drip of death and mounting chronic illness — as the "new normal". But other experts insist it doesn't have to be, and that continuing on the current trajectory is unsustainable
Hayley Gleeson
Date published: Jan. 20, 2024
Date archived: May 6, 2024
Personal anecdote
Journalist
The Conversation
Yes, masks reduce the risk of spreading COVID, despite a review saying they don’t
Archive Link
This Cochrane Review combined RCTs where face masks or respirators were worn part of the time (for example, when caring for patients with known COVID or influenza: “occasional” or “targeted” use) with RCTs where they were worn at all times (“continuous use”).
Beth Daley
Date published: Feb. 6, 2023
Date archived: May 6, 2024
Article on a study
Journalist
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Effectiveness of Face Mask or Respirator Use in Indoor Public Settings for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection — California, February–December 2021
Archive Link
Consistent use of a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with lower odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (adjusted odds ratio = 0.44). Use of respirators with higher filtration capacity was associated with the most protection, compared with no mask use.
Kristin L. Andrejko; Jake M. Pry, PhD; Jennifer F. Myers, MPH; Nozomi Fukui; Jennifer L. DeGuzman, MPH; John Openshaw, MD; James P. Watt, MD; Joseph A. Lewnard, PhD; Seema Jain, MD; California COVID-19 Case-Control Study Team
Date published: Feb. 11, 2022
Date archived: Sept. 19, 2023
Other / Mixed
Other / Mixed
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
An upper bound on one-to-one exposure to infectious human respiratory particles
Archive Link
We conclude that wearing appropriate masks in the community provides excellent protection for others and oneself, and makes social distancing less important.
Gholamhossein Bagheri, Birte Thiede, Bardia Hejazi, Oliver Schlenczek, Eberhard Bodenschatz, edited by Howard Stone
Date published: Dec. 2, 2021
Date archived: May 5, 2024
Paper
Group of professionals
Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
N95 respirator and surgical mask effectiveness against respiratory viral illnesses in the healthcare setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Archive Link
The N95 respirator was most effective in reducing the risk of a viral infection in the hospital setting from the SARS-CoV 1 and 2 viruses compared to the other viruses included in this investigation.
Numerous
Date published: Oct. 31, 2021
Date archived: May 21, 2023
Study
Other / Mixed
University of Cambridge Research
Upgrading PPE for staff working on COVID-19 wards cut hospital-acquired infections dramatically
Archive Link
When Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge upgraded its face masks for staff working on COVID-19 wards to filtering face piece 3 (FFP3) respirators, it saw a dramatic fall – up to 100% – in hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections among these staff.
Date published: June 29, 2021
Date archived: Feb. 2, 2022
Article on a study
Other / Professional
JAMA Network
Effectiveness of Mask Wearing to Control Community Spread of SARS-CoV-2
Archive Link
Compelling data now demonstrate that community mask wearing is an effective nonpharmacologic intervention to reduce the spread of this infection, especially as source control to prevent spread from infected persons, but also as protection to reduce wearers’ exposure to infection.
John T. Brooks
MD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention
Date published: Feb. 10, 2021
Date archived: Aug. 24, 2023
Article on a study
Medical professional
American Journal of Infection Control
Face masks to prevent transmission of COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Archive Link
In general, wearing a mask was associated with a significantly reduced risk of COVID-19 infection (OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.21-0.69, I2 = 54.1%). For the healthcare workers group, masks were shown to have a reduced risk of infection by nearly 70%. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust.
Yanni Li, MPH; Mingming Liang, MPH; Liang Gao, MD, PhD; Mubashir Ayaz Ahmed, MD; John Patrick Uy, MD; Ce Cheng, DO; Qin Zhou, PhD; Chenyu Sun, MD, MSc
Date published: Dec. 18, 2020
Date archived: June 14, 2023
Study
Group of professionals
American Society for Microbiology Journals
Effectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Archive Link
We found that cotton masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks all have a protective effect with respect to the transmission of infective droplets/aerosols of SARS-CoV-2 and that the protective efficiency was higher when masks were worn by a virus spreader.
Hiroshi Ueki, Yuri Furusawa, Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto, Masaki Imai, Hiroki Kabata, Hidekazu Nishimura, Yoshihiro Kawaoka
Mixed
Date published: Oct. 21, 2020
Date archived: Sept. 7, 2023
Study
Group of professionals
Health Affairs
Community Use Of Face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US
Archive Link
Mandating face mask use in public is associated with a decline in the daily COVID-19 growth rate by 0.9, 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, and 2.0 percentage points in 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, and 21 or more days after state face mask orders were signed, respectively.
Wei Lyu, George L. Wehby
Mixed (from the Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Date published: June 16, 2020
Date archived: Sept. 19, 2023
Study
Group of professionals
Annals of Internal Medicine
For Patient Safety, It Is Not Time to Take Off Masks in Health Care Settings
Archive Link
In any event, exposing patients unnecessarily to infections that are preventable by masking seems directly contrary to the principles of patient safety.
Tara N. Palmore, MD; David K. Henderson, MD
Other / Mixed
Group of professionals