1. Face masks effectively limit the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission
- Author
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Cheng, Yafang, Ma, Nan, Witt, Christian, Rapp, Steffen, Wild, Philipp S, Andreae, Meinrat O, Pöschl, Ulrich, and Su, Hang
- Subjects
Lung ,Prevention ,Infectious Diseases ,Emerging Infectious Diseases ,Vaccine Related ,Biodefense ,Infection ,Good Health and Well Being ,General Science & Technology - Abstract
Airborne transmission by droplets and aerosols is important for the spread of viruses. Face masks are a well-established preventive measure, but their effectiveness for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission is still under debate. We show that variations in mask efficacy can be explained by different regimes of virus abundance and related to population-average infection probability and reproduction number. For SARS-CoV-2, the viral load of infectious individuals can vary by orders of magnitude. We find that most environments and contacts are under conditions of low virus abundance (virus-limited) where surgical masks are effective at preventing virus spread. More advanced masks and other protective equipment are required in potentially virus-rich indoor environments including medical centers and hospitals. Masks are particularly effective in combination with other preventive measures like ventilation and distancing.
- Published
- 2021