Can face masks help slow the spread of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19? Yes, face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as frequent hand-washing and social distancing; help slow the spread of the virus.
Wearing a face mask is an economical and simple way to help stop and prevent the spread of airborne infections like COVID-19. It’s also an indication that you want to help protect other people and have them protect you… that you feel we are all in this together.
So why weren’t face masks recommended at the start of the pandemic? At that time, experts didn’t know the extent to which people with COVID-19 could spread the virus before symptoms appeared. Nor was it known that some people have COVID-19 but don’t have any symptoms. Both groups can unknowingly spread the virus to others.
These discoveries led public health groups to do an about-face on face masks. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now include face masks in their recommendations for slowing the spread of the virus. The CDC recommends cloth face masks for the public and not the surgical and N95 masks needed by health care providers.
Here are some awesome slow-motion schlieren imaging experiments to demonstrate why masks work! Share with someone who needs to see this.