"Consistently wearing high-quality masks offers strong protection"
The New York Times interviewed Dr. Anne Rimoin about research that found wearing high-quality masks offers strong protection against COVID-19.
People who reported always wearing face masks or respirators, such as N95 masks, in public indoor settings were significantly less likely to later test positive for the coronavirus than people who said they never wore masks in such places, researchers at the California Department of Public Health reported Friday.
The study, a phone survey conducted before omicron became the dominant variant in the United States, also suggested that surgical masks and N95 or KN95 respirators provided better protection than cloth masks.
The findings provide more evidence that wearing high-quality, well-fitting masks can help protect the wearer from infection with the virus. They come at a time when many school districts and local officials have begun considering whether and when to lift mask mandates.
Faculty Referenced by this Article
Robert J. Kim-Farley, MD, MPH, is a Professor-in-Residence with joint appointments in the Departments of Epidemiology and Community Health Sciences
Dr. Joseph Davey is an infectious disease epidemiologist with over 20 years' experience leading research on HIV/STI services for women and children.
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