Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

October 13, 2020

The Impact of Mask-Wearing and Shelter-in-Place on COVID-19 Outbreaks in the United States

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  • Non-medical mask-wearing by 75% of the population in one modeling study reduced infections by 38%, hospitalizations by 44%, and deaths by 47% in the absence of a shelter-in-place strategy. In combination with mask-wearing, sheltering people aged 50 to 64 decreased deaths by more than 82%. The authors noted that in this model, wearing masks with only 20% efficacy in preventing transmission had a substantial impact on outbreak control. They also suggest that shelter-in-place strategies are important public health interventions amid ongoing outbreaks.

Zhang et al. (Oct 2020). The Impact of Mask-Wearing and Shelter-in-Place on COVID-19 Outbreaks in the United States. International Journal of Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.002