Do masks actually protect you from novel coronavirus?

News Network
November 19, 2020

virus.JPG

Researchers in Denmark reported on Wednesday that surgical masks did not protect the wearers against infection with the coronavirus in a large randomized clinical trial. But the findings conflict with those from a number of other studies, experts said, and is not likely to alter public health recommendations in the United States.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, did not contradict growing evidence that masks can prevent transmission of the virus from wearer to others. But the conclusion is at odds with the view that masks also protect the wearers — a position endorsed just last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Critics were quick to note the study’s limitations, among them that the design depended heavily on participants reporting their own test results and behavior, at a time when both mask-wearing and infection were rare in Denmark.

Coronavirus infections are soaring throughout the United States, and even officials who had resisted mask mandates are reversing course. Roughly 40 states have implemented mask requirements of some sort, according to a database maintained by The New York Times.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advocates a national mask mandate, as does President-elect Joe Biden.

“I won’t be president until January 20th, but my message today to everyone is this: wear a mask,” Biden recently wrote on Twitter.

From early April to early June, researchers at the University of Copenhagen recruited 6,024 participants who had been tested beforehand to be sure they were not infected with the coronavirus.

Half were given surgical masks and told to wear them when leaving their homes; the others were told not to wear masks in public.

At that time, 2% of the Danish population was infected — a rate lower than that in many places in the United States and Europe today. Social distancing and frequent hand-washing were common, but masks were not.

About 4,860 participants completed the study. The researchers had hoped that masks would cut the infection rate by half among wearers. Instead, 42 people in the mask group, or 1.8%, got infected, compared with 53 in the unmasked group, or 2.1%. The difference was not statistically significant.

“Our study gives an indication of how much you gain from wearing a mask,” said Dr. Henning Bundgaard, lead author of the study and a cardiologist at the University of Copenhagen. “Not a lot.”

Dr. Mette Kalager, a professor of medical decision-making at the University of Oslo, found the research compelling. The study showed that “although there might be a symbolic effect,” she wrote in an email, “the effect of wearing a mask does not substantially reduce risk” for wearers.

Other experts were unconvinced. The incidence of infections in Denmark was lower than it is today in many places, meaning the effectiveness of masks for wearers may have been harder to detect, they noted.

Participants reported their own test results; mask use was not independently verified, and users may not have worn them correctly.

“There is absolutely no doubt that masks work as source control,” preventing people from infecting others, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, chief executive of Resolve to Save Lives, an advocacy group, and former director of the CDC, who wrote an editorial outlining weaknesses of the research.

“The question this study was designed to answer is: Do they work as personal protection?” The answer depends on what mask is used and what sort of exposure to the virus each person has, Frieden said, and the study was not designed to tease out those details.

“An N95 mask is better than a surgical mask,” Frieden said. “A surgical mask is better than most cloth masks. A cloth mask is better than nothing.”

The study’s conclusion flies in the face of other research suggesting that masks do protect the wearer. In its recent bulletin, the CDC cited a dozen studies finding that even cloth masks may help protect the wearer. Most of them were laboratory examinations of the particles blocked by materials of various types.

Susan Ellenberg, a biostatistician at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, noted that protection conferred by masks on the wearer trended “in the direction of benefit” in the trial, even if the results were not statistically significant.

“Nothing in this study suggests to me that it is useless to wear a mask,” she said.

Dr. Elizabeth Halloran, a statistician at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, said the usefulness of masks also depends on how much virus a person is exposed to.

“If you show this article to a health care provider who works in a COVID ward in a hospital, I doubt she or he would say that this article convinces them not to wear a mask,” she said.

But Dr. Christine Laine, editor in chief of the Annals of Internal Medicine, described the previous evidence that masks protect wearers as weak.

“These studies cannot differentiate between source control and personal protection of the mask wearer,” she said.

Laine said the new study underscored the need for adherence to other precautions, like social distancing. Masks “are not a magic bullet,” she said. “There are people who say, ‘I’m fine, I’m wearing a mask.’ They need to realize they are not invulnerable to infection.”

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
April 8,2025

deepashree.jpg

Mangaluru: Meet Deepashree S, the state topper in the Commerce stream of the PU 2 exams, scoring an astonishing 599 out of 600. A student of Canara PU College, Deepashree had an inkling of success but admits the first rank was beyond her wildest dreams.

“All our doubts were cleared in the classroom itself,” she said, praising her lecturers. “Their concept-based teaching helped me understand everything thoroughly. I also made it a habit to revise daily.”

Planning her future early, Deepashree is already taking CA coaching and is all set to appear for the CA Foundation exam in May. Her next step? An integrated BCom with CA.

Daughter of Ashok S and Suma P, Deepashree is also a Carnatic classical singer, and attributes her sharp concentration to her love for music.

“Hard work matters, but yes, luck plays a part too,” she added with a wise smile — proving that success is a fine mix of talent, effort, and grace.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 10,2025

Washington: In a move that stunned markets and political observers alike, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 90-day pause on his sweeping tariff regime—granting relief to all countries except China. Just a day earlier, such a reversal had seemed unimaginable.

Trump said the pause was prompted by the cooperative stance of over 75 nations, which had refrained from retaliating against his earlier tariffs. These countries, he claimed, chose negotiation over confrontation. During the pause, a reduced reciprocal tariff of 10% will be in place.

However, Trump made it clear that China would face no such leniency. Citing Beijing's alleged trade abuses and “lack of respect” for global markets, he announced an immediate hike in tariffs on Chinese imports to 125%, up from the earlier 104%.

“At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the US and other countries is no longer sustainable or acceptable,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Despite repeatedly resisting pressure from within his own party and business circles to halt the tariff spree, Trump’s sudden pivot was reportedly triggered by alarm bells inside the US Treasury Department. According to CNN, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raised red flags about a dramatic selloff in the bond market, which, if left unchecked, could spiral into a financial crisis.

Speaking to the media after the announcement, Trump seemed to suggest that the decision came from instinct rather than strategy.

“We didn’t have access to lawyers… We wrote it up from our hearts. You have to be flexible,” he said.

The markets responded instantly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged over 2,500 points, while the Nasdaq jumped 12.2%, its best day in 24 years. The S&P 500 rose 6%, oil prices climbed more than 4%, and the dollar strengthened.

Impact on India

India, which had been hit with a 26% customized reciprocal tariff, saw its markets rattled in recent weeks. The pause offers a much-needed breather, as New Delhi works to finalize a multi-sectoral trade deal with Washington.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that talks are underway. “We hope to address these issues and conclude this agreement expeditiously,” he said, underlining the strong economic ties between the two nations.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 7,2025

Mangaluru, Apr 7: A price storm is brewing in Mangaluru’s hotel and restaurant industry. Faced with skyrocketing raw material costs and mounting overheads, hoteliers are preparing to hike food prices by up to 10% within a month — a move that could hit the pockets of thousands of diners across Dakshina Kannada.

From milk and oil to LPG and staples like rice and toor dal, prices have surged, pushing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian establishments to the brink. Over 65% of hotels operate in rented spaces, and labour shortages are adding fuel to the fire.

Swarna Sunder of Dinki Dine says running a hotel without burdening customers is becoming near-impossible. “Costs are rising daily. We’re trying to strike a balance, but a hike is inevitable,” he said, calling Mangaluru a highly price-sensitive market.

Industry leaders, including the Dakshina Kannada Hotel Owners Association, are expected to meet soon to formalize the revision.

Meanwhile, hoteliers blame "unhealthy competition" for further disrupting the sector. “Some serve unlimited fish meals under ₹60 — it’s unsustainable and unfair,” said a hotelier, adding that such practices are forcing smaller eateries to shut shop.

Chandrahas Shetty, president of the district association, confirmed that rising input costs have left them with little choice but to revise menus.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.