Face coverings save lives: Make them mandatory
Face coverings save lives: Make them mandatory
Covering faces (even with homemade masks) is a PROVEN, low-cost strategy to cut transmissions.
US CDC strongly recommends the public wear face masks. Austria sees a decline in new cases after Face Mask policy.
This simple and effective strategy can help end the outbreak.
Covering faces cuts COVID-19 transmission at the top of the funnel.
COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets when one coughs or sneezes.
The latest biological findings on SARS-Cov-2 viral entry into human tissue and sneeze/cough-droplet ballistics suggest that the major transmission mechanism is via large droplets and not fine aerosols.
These large droplets can be effectively blocked by any barrier in front of the mouth :
Home Made Masks
Surgical Masks
N95 Respirators (good at blocking fine aerosols too)
Evidence suggests COVID-19 could be transmitted before symptom onset, community transmission might be reduced if everyone, including people who have been infected but are asymptomatic and contagious, wear[s] face masks.
- Feng et al. (Rational use of face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic) - The Lancet
Take no chances, enforce covering faces.
It is reported that 80% of all COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic in nature. Netherlands has had persistent community transmission for a few weeks now. It is prudent to take no risk and enforce the public to cover their faces while in public/home to avoid transmission.
HomemadeClothMasks will save the public.
We understand that mandating the public to wear ‘masks’ might lead to the unavailability of surgical masks and N95 respirators. We need to make it clear to the public that homemade masks are effective for the exposure they receive.
This will prevent asymptomatic individuals from affecting others through droplets.
Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb advises wearing homemade masks.
Easy implementation. Low cost. No harm caused.
Ask them to make 3 for every person so that they can cycle through them.
Take care while removing the mask off the face.
Enforce masks for essential service workers.
Essential Service workers (from delivery agents to government servants) ought to be protected. They can also act as vectors for the virus. To reduce risks, allow and enforce them to wear surgical masks on duty. If surgical masks are not available, homemade face masks are a must.
Enforce face masks. Let’s end the outbreak fast.
EndCoronavirus.org is the world’s largest organisation to fight COVID-19, with 4000+ scientists, doctors, engineers & analysts, from NECSI / Harvard / MIT / IIT / IIM, monitoring the spread & control of COVID-19 since January. We have published the most effective set of guidelines for governments to fight the pandemic.
Our efforts were critical in the US in banning flights from China in Jan & other early outbreak control measures in the EU & in India. We work with governments to implement guidelines from our learnings in other countries that have stopped the outbreak. This includes guidelines for zoning, risk-assessment, healthcare prep, high risk institutions, grocery stores & essential services. Reach out to us at netherlands@endcoronavirus.org or simply reply to this email.