Political polarisation impedes the public policy response to COVID-19

Political polarisation impedes the public policy response to COVID-19: As the use of face masks has been shown to effectively diminish the spread of COVID-19 without hampering economic activity, it should be among the least controversial public policy responses to the pandemic. This column shows, however, that mask usage is strongly associated with political partisanship in the US. Using various research designs, it finds that localities which voted for Trump in 2016 are significantly less likely to wear masks, even if mask wearing is mandated. Leadership is shown to matter as well – tweets with positive sentiment towards masks surged after Trump wore a mask in public the first time.

If face masks really stop Covid, then why are so many of us still catching it?

If face masks really stop Covid, then why are so many of us still catching it? If face masks really stop Covid, then why are so many of us still catching it? 

World Health Organisation is urging us to wear masks around Christmas table 

Surveys show three-quarters of Britons are wearing masks in mandatory areas Yet virus spreading at rate that requires Britons to be banned from mixing inside

53m discarded Covid face masks in UK 'could be polluting the sea'

53m discarded Covid face masks in UK 'could be polluting the sea': Globally 129bn face masks are being used per month

Face masks and COVID-19: don’t let perfect be the enemy of good: There are clear evidential gaps in the science of modes of COVID-19 transmission. Nevertheless, there is compelling evidence that masks can contribute to the control of COVID-19. Given that face masks are inexpensive in comparison to the other public health measures being used to control COVID-19, even a limited effect on transmission would justify their widespread use. In addition to recommending that people wear face masks in poorly ventilated, crowded settings or when community prevalence is high, some health authorities might even consider to recommend the practice in all settings when in company. The only caveat relates to potential diversion of scarce supplies for healthcare settings, in which case alternative forms of facial coverings that are made of appropriate materials should be considered [1].

Mask usage reduces COVID-19 deaths

Mask usage reduces COVID-19 deaths: A US county-level analysis: The science behind mask usage and its ability to reduce airborne particles seems clear. Despite this, many individuals are sceptical that wearing masks can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and many refuse to wear one even when required. This column examines the effect of mask usage using county-level data from the US, employing an instrumental variable approach. The findings show that increasing the amount of individuals who frequently or always wear a mask when within six feet of people by 1% could reduce COVID-19 deaths by 10.5%, which translates into approximately six deaths in the average county.

COVID-19 Indoor Safety Guideline

The COVID-19 Indoor Safety Guideline: The COVID-19 Indoor Safety Guideline is an evolving tool intended to familiarize the interested user with the factors influencing the risk of indoor airborne transmission of COVID-19, and to assist in the quantitative assessment of risk in various settings. We note that uncertainty in and intrinsic variability of model parameters may lead to errors as large as an order of magnitude, which may be compensated for by choosing a sufficiently small risk tolerance. Our guideline does not take into account short-range transmission through respiratory jets, which may substantially elevate risk when face masks are not being worn, in a manner discussed in the accompanying manuscript   

One person in the room with you has COVID-19. Here’s how long it takes to get infected: MIT researchers have built a simple tool to give clear guidelines on indoor safety in the midst of a pandemic.