Randomized Trial By Yale Researchers: Masks Effective In Preventing Infection

NEW YORK (VINnews) — A randomized trial conducted by researchers from Yale, Stanford and Berkeley universities has demonstrated the effectiveness of masks in preventing infection, according to the authors of the study.

The study took place in Bangladesh, where more than 340,000 people from 600 villages were split into two groups. Researchers succeeded in encouraging mask-wearing by offering free masks, providing information on mask-wearing, reinforcing the wearing in public as well as providing modeling and endorsement by trusted leaders.

Utilizing those four interventions, researchers found mask-wearing increased to 42% in targeted villages, up from 13% in control villages.

In the second part of the study, researchers checked those in the targeted and control villages for COVID-19 symptoms. If symptoms were reported, they were tested for COVID-19. Researchers found that in villages that were targeted with mask promotion programs, there were 9.3% fewer symptomatic infections than in the control villages. If surgical masks were distributed, instead of cloth masks, infections were 11% lower overall, 23% lower among those 50-60, and 35% among people over 60.

The researchers said the results of the study showed, “there is clear evidence that community mask-wearing can reduce COVID-19” and “the effects were substantially larger in communities where surgical masks were distributed.” Further, the researchers said mask-wearing can be “increased through a combination of four core intervention elements, now called the ‘NORM’ model.”

The NORM model stands for “No-cost mask distribution, Offering information, reinforcement to wear masks, and Modeling by local leaders.” Researchers also discovered that other ideas like village-level incentives and text messages did not help increase usage of masks.

Researchers concluded that masks could benefit public health and prevent many kinds of respiratory infections from spreading.

“Whether people with respiratory symptoms should generally wear masks to prevent respiratory virus transmission –– including for viruses other than SARS Co-V-2 –– is an important area for future research,” researchers reported in the study. “The findings from this study suggest that such a policy may benefit public health.”