Two mathematical models predict that the widespread use of facemasks in public combined with physical distancing or periods of lockdown provides a way to manage the pandemic and reopen the economy while reducing the risk of future waves of the pandemic. Some experts have concerns that wearing a mask might increase a person’s risk of contamination if they repeatedly touch their face, for example, to adjust the mask. But the study found that masks were still beneficial at a population level, even under the assumption that a person quadruples their risk of infection due to repeatedly touching their face. Lead author Dr. Richard Stutt, who is part of a team that usually models the spread of crop diseases at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, said: “Our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of face masks by the public. If widespread facemask use by the public is combined with physical distancing and some lockdown, it may offer an acceptable way of managing the pandemic and reopening economic activity long before there is a working vaccine.”

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