In the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, vol. 26, no 5, May 2020, main articular, titled Nonpharmaceutial Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings – Personal Protective and Environmental Measures
Under the sub heading of Face Masks at least 15 distinct citations in the four paragraphs.
Conclusions are that the face mask is of no help for the following reasons:
- Only masks rated N95 or P2 provide a finer filtration, and even then, there is no evidence that it helps
- Most people, especially in low-income communities, are going to wear reusable non-surgical masks
- People don’t wear them properly, and are lax in the protocols
- Masks where developed to help keep a wound clean, not to prevent the transmission of influenza virus
The next section goes on to say that washing your hands helps with gastrointestinal illness, not respiratory illness
The World Health Organization sponsored this study, and it was carried out by staff members from the University of Hong Kong