Face masks likely prevented many COVID-19 cases

Wearing face masks in public prevented as many as 450,000 new cases of COVID-19, according to a new study.

IT'S A DECISIONTHAT'S DIVIDINGAMERICANS --BUT A NEW STUDYSUGGESTS -- FACEMASKS HAVESIGNIFICANTLYREDUCED THENUMBER OF NEWCORONAVIRUSCASES.MANDY GAITHER HASMORE IN TODAY'SHEALTH MINUTE.WEARING FACEMASKS IN PUBLICPREVENTED AS MANYAS 450-THOUSANDNEW CASES OFCORONAVIRUS --ACCORDING TO ANEW STUDY.THAT STUDYPUBLISHED ONLINE INTHE JOURNALHEALTH AFFAIRS --ESTIMATES BETWEEN230-THOUSAND AND450-THOUSANDCASES OF THE VIRUSWERE PREVENTED INTHE STATES THATENACTEDREQUIREMENTS FORMASK USE BETWEENAPRIL 8TH AND MAY15TH.RESEARCHERS SAYWEARING FACEMASKS IN PUBLIC --REDUCED THE DAILYNUMBER OFCORONAVIRUSCASES BY AS MUCHAS TWO-PERCENT INWASHINGTON D-C --AND THE 15 STATESTHAT MANDATEDTHEIR USE --COMPARED TO THESTATES THAT DIDNOT.THE LONGER THEMANDATES WERE INPLACE -- THE HIGHERTHE REDUCTION INCOVID-19 CASES.RESEARCHERS ALSOLOOKED AT 20STATES THATIMPOSEDEMPLOYEE-ONLYMANDATES BUT NOTPUBLIC MASK USE --AND DID NOT FIND ASIGNIFICANT IMPACTON THE SPREAD OFTHE CORONAVIRUS INTHOSE STATES.THE STUDY DID HAVESOME LIMITATIONSINCLUDING -- THEINABILITY TOMEASURE THEACTUAL USE OF FACECOVERINGS IN ANYCOMMUNITY -- ANDRESEARCHERS WEREONLY ABLE TOMEASURECONFIRMED CASESOF COVID-19 --DESPITE EVIDENCETHAT INFECTIONRATES IN SOMECOMMUNITIES WEREHIGHER.FOR TODAY'S HEALTHMINUTE, I'M MANDYGAITHERIN APRIL -- THE C-D-CISSUED NEWGUIDELINESENCOURAGINGCLOTH FACECOVERINGS INPUBLIC PLACESWHERE SOCIALDISTANCING