Effects of Face Mask Mandates on COVID-19 Transmission in 51 Countries: Retrospective Event Study.

Anatol-Fiete Näher Matthias Schulte-Althoff Marvin Kopka Felix Balzer Francisco Pozo-Martin

Published in: JMIR public health and surveillance (2024)

Contrary to recommendations, mask mandates can be used as an effective measure to reduce SARS-CoV-2 reproduction numbers. However, mandates alone are not sufficient to reduce growth rates of COVID-19 cases. Our study adds external validity to the existing randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of face masks to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Keyphrases

sars cov
respiratory syndrome coronavirus
randomized controlled trial
coronavirus disease
systematic review
cross sectional