NEJM: Masks symbolic rather than protective
From the New England Journal of Medicine:
Second Paragraph:
"We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic"
Last Paragraph:
"It is also clear that masks serve symbolic roles. Masks are not only tools, they are also talismans that may help increase health care workers’ perceived sense of safety, well-being, and trust in their hospitals."
Check out my last post on masks
This article was published with permission by the author and was first posted here: https://checkthedata.blogspot.com/2020/05/nejm-masks-symbolic-rather-than.html
