Large new real-life study of mask wearing in Bangladesh

[Laura Corin]

We Did the Research: Masks Work, and You Should Choose a Surgical Mask if Possible https://nyti.ms/3o9bUdz

Edited September 26, 2021 by Laura Corin

[KSera]

This study has been heralded because of being one of the only ones like it, but I worry it will have the opposite effect because the reduction is so modest. I think people won’t pay attention to the fact that this wasn’t a masking group and a non masking group, it was a non masking and a low mask usage group. So it helped, but not like universal masking. I also don’t like that they direct everyone to surgical masks, when those are significantly less effective than KF94, N95, KN95 (and other similar designations in other countries). 

[wathe]

Link to the full study.

This was a study of mask wearing on a population level, not about individual protection. 

The usual story about media mis-applying study results; suggesting that individuals should wear surgical masks, implying individual benefit better than all alternative including respirators, is misleading and mis-applying the study results.  Suggesting that populations should wear surgical masks is appropriate and consistent with the study results.

@KSera You are right, that at the individual, a properly fitted respirator is better than a pleated procedural mask.

Respirators weren't tested at the population level, (and probably aren't reasonable at the population level, because they are expensive and need to fit to achieve the benefit.)

Edited to fix link

 

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by wathe

[ieta_cassiopeia]

It's also worth considering that the research wasn't testing a scheme with rigourous education on how to wear particular types of mask (though I think it had some generic mask-wearing advice), so respirators likely wouldn't have been at maximum effectiveness at individual level in this study in any case. Someone seriously considering a respirator would presumably learn how to use the specific respirator they were going to use and have access to the necessary knowledge (such information access cannot be assumed in a population study somewhere with high levels of poverty).