Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

September 29, 2020

Strong Impact of Closing Schools Closing Bars and Wearing Masks during the Covid-19 Pandemic Results from a Simple and Revealing Analysis

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  • [Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] Segmented regression applied to COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 case counts in a number of US states was used to estimate the impact of the closures of schools, restaurants and bars, general lockdown orders, and masking mandates. The authors estimate that school closings reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection rates by half, while lockdowns reduced transmission rates by 3- to 4-fold, and other actions (such as closing bars and mandating masks) also decreased the rates. [EDITORIAL NOTE: The short amount of time between different types of closures and the lack of precision in the date of infection greatly limits the ability to attribute declines in the infection rate to any one intervention approach]

Matzinger et al. (Sept 28, 2020). Strong Impact of Closing Schools Closing Bars and Wearing Masks during the Covid-19 Pandemic Results from a Simple and Revealing Analysis. Pre-print downloaded Sept 29 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.26.20202457