Will masks be the bulwark against the spread of the coronavirus epidemic once the deconfinement is well under way? Not so sure. If most European countries, like Luxembourg, take decisions aimed at generalizing it, the discourse was at first very different.
From the beginning of the epidemic, the WHO did not recommend wearing a mask for the whole population, arguing that oral protection did not prevent the virus from spreading. An opinion joined by part of the scientific community. According to Ben Killingley, an infectious disease specialist at University College London, “there is no solid evidence that the mask can reduce the transmission of Covid-19.”
The risk of neglecting other barrier gestures
Worse, the discomfort caused by wearing a mask would encourage people to touch their faces more. Professionals also fear negligence concerning other barrier gestures (social distancing, hand washing …) once the wearing of the mask is generalized.
For Ben Killingley, the studies which recommend the wearing of the mask are not relevant because they were never carried out in the context of a pandemic and far from everyday reality. Korean researchers also said the masks were ineffective, saying that the surgical or cloth masks were not waterproof enough to prevent the virus from crossing them.
Other research projects report a marked reduction in the risk of contamination, particularly when two people nearby carry it. Many visuals are currently circulating on social networks detailing the percentage of transmission according to several scenarios.
The effectiveness of masks, from FFP2 to tissue, in an infographic # COVID19 #coronavirus (@le_Parisien) pic.twitter.com/fnSMGuKL62
– B3infos (@ B3infos) April 26, 2020
Be careful however, the risk of contamination depends on many other factors. No scientific study has been able to precisely identify the level of protection provided by the masks.
“The exact risk of transmission will depend in particular on the amount of virus expelled by the carrier, the distance between the two individuals, the type of mask worn or even if these masks are put correctly on the face”, explains Dr. Shelley Payne , director of the La Montagne Infectious Disease Research Center in Texas.
(Thomas Holzer / The Essential)
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