Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19
Authors: George FitzGerald
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2021)

LettersApril 2021Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19FREEGeorge FitzGerald, PhDGeorge FitzGerald, PhDBrewster, MassachusettsSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L21-0089 SectionsAboutVisual AbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR: I found it interesting that Clase and colleagues (1) did not mention Bae and associates' brief research report (2). The latter concludes, “[B]oth surgical and cotton masks seem to be ineffective in preventing the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 from the coughs of patients with COVID-19 to the environment and external mask surface.” Bae and associates' relatively simple and straightforward study can and should be repeated by any number of institutions with access to patients with COVID-19. It might be modified to obtain more data (such as including more patients and detecting viral particles at different distances from patients); however, it should not be ignored by the medical community, the media, or various government agencies.If the results of Bae and associates' study are shown to be accurate, it would have major implications on the widespread public policy of mandating face masks. If surgical or cloth face masks are ineffective at blocking SARS-CoV-2, then the focus of public policy should be on social distancing, handwashing, and development of a COVID-19 vaccine.References1. Clase CM, Fu EL, Joseph M, et al. Cloth masks may prevent transmission of COVID-19: an evidence-based, risk-based approach [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173:489-91. [PMID: 32441991]. doi: 10.7326/M20-2567 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Bae S, Kim MC, Kim JY, et al. Effectiveness of surgical and cotton masks in blocking SARS-CoV-2: a controlled comparison in 4 patients [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173:W22-3. [PMID: 32251511]. doi: 10.7326/M20-1342 LinkGoogle Scholar Comments 0 Comments Sign In to Submit A Comment Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: George FitzGerald, PhDAffiliations: Brewster, MassachusettsDisclosures: The author has reported no disclosures of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L21-0089. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoCloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19: An Evidence-Based, Risk-Based Approach Catherine M. Clase , Edouard L. Fu , Meera Joseph , Rupert C.L. Beale , Myrna B. Dolovich , Meg Jardine , Johannes F.E. Mann , Roberto Pecoits-Filho , Wolfgang C. Winkelmayer , and Juan J. Carrero Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 Maxwell G. Anderson Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 Catherine M. Clase , Edouard L. Fu , Meg Jardine , Johannes F.E. Mann , Juan J. Carrero Cloth Masks May Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 Kouji H. Harada , Mariko Harada Sassa Metrics April 2021Volume 174, Issue 4 Page: 579 ePublished: 20 April 2021 Issue Published: April 2021 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2021 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...