![coronavirus]()
The New England Journal of Medicine said in an article in
the spring of 2020 that “We know that wearing a mask outside health care
facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection.” The article,
which had five authors, included five references and 33 article citations
supporting their view.
In June, though, they tried to clarify the article with a
letter from three of the authors, who said they had “intended this statement to
apply to passing encounters in public spaces, not sustained interactions within
closed environments … We therefore strongly support the calls of public health
agencies for all people to wear masks when circumstances compel them to be
within 6 feet of others for sustained periods.”
Even with the clarification, the letter highlights the mixed
messages the public is getting, and appears to contradict specific comments in
the article, which said, “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.”
SOURCES:
New
England Journal of Medicine May 21, 2020
New
England Journal of Medicine June 3, 2020