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    What the Cochrane Review Says About Masks For COVID-19 — and What It Doesn’t

    by Jessica McDonald Mar 16, 2023 11 minutes

    SciCheck Digest

    People online are touting the results of a Cochrane review to incorrectly claim that it shows masks “don’t work” against the coronavirus. But the primary conclusion of the review is that it’s uncertain from randomized controlled trials whether mask interventions in the community help slow the spread of respiratory illnesses.

    What evidence supports the use of face masks against the coronavirus?

    Multiple lines of evidence back the use of face masks to protect against the coronavirus, although some uncertainty remains as to how effective mask interventions are in preventing spread in the community.

    Lab tests, for example, show that certain masks and N95 respirators can partially block exhaled respiratory droplets or aerosols, which are thought to be the primary ways the virus spreads.

    Observational studies, while limited, have generally found mask-wearing to be associated with a reduced risk of contracting the virus or fewer COVID-19 cases in a community.

    A few randomized controlled trials have found that providing free masks and encouraging people to wear them results in a small to moderate reduction in transmission, although these results have not always been statistically significant.

    Masks should not be viewed as foolproof, as no mask is thought to offer complete protection to the wearer or to others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear the most protective mask that fits well and can be worn consistently. Loosely woven cloth masks are the least protective. Layered, tightly woven cloth masks offer more protection, while well-fitting surgical masks and KN95 respirators provide even more protection and N95 respirators are the most protective.

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    Full Story

    Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, few topics have become as polarizing as masks. Some people claim masks are a panacea; others say masks are worthless or worse. The evidence, however, is more complicated and nuanced — and points somewhere in between, experts told us.

    Reigniting the debate — and sparking misinformation about masks from both sides — is a recently released update that specializes in systematic reviews of health care interventions.

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