The use of a mask is the most effective – beyond vaccines – non-pharmacological precautionary measure by Covid-19, reducing coronavirus infections by 53%, according to a new international study, the most comprehensive of its kind to date, in which it participated and a Greek diaspora scientist.
Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh in Scotland and Alone in Melbourne, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), according to the Guardian, evaluated (meta-analysis and systematic review) 35 scientific studies from different countries. Professor of Epidemiology Europa Theodoratou from the University of Edinburgh, a graduate of the Department of Biology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2003) also participated in the study.
Combining the data available so far, the new study concluded that of all the non-pharmacological interventions, the mask comparatively reduces the chance of someone being infected with a coronavirus by 57%, compared to a 25% reduction in distance. Therefore, the researchers stressed the need to continue using the mask in parallel with vaccinations.
The study showed that regular hand washing also seems to provide significant protection (53% reduction in the risk of infection), but due to the small number of relevant studies, the statistical reliability of this assessment was considered significantly lower than using a mask.
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