File photo: Getty Images.
PROVO, Utah — Four faculty members from BYU have reviewed dozens of studies on the use of face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Their conclusion? Masks work.
Respiratory droplets ejected into the air while speaking without and with a mask. The images show droplets illuminated with lasers. Photo by Modified from Anfinrud and others 2020: Visualizing Speech-Generated Oral Fluid Droplets with Laser Light Scattering.
Brigham Young University’s Benjamin Abbott and three others reviewed 115 published studies and articles on the use of face masks, and concluded that “masks could be one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to stop COVID-19 and accelerate economic recovery.”
The BYU faculty members looked at the potential health effects of wearing masks and determined that only a few people have conditions that would make wearing masks a bad idea, with almost no evidence to support a lack of oxygen or a buildup of carbon dioxide.
The study is available on the BYU website.
COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
Utah’s Coronavirus Information
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
