How Do Face Masks Control the Spread of Disease?

Face masks have long been used for various reasons in health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become a critical form of personal protection for many people—from doctors to ordinary people out for a walk. But can face masks really protect against the spread of infectious respiratory diseases, like SARS and COVID-19?

Face masks effectively limit the probability of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Effectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

How to Put on and Remove a Face Mask - Disease Prevention and Control, San Francisco Department of Public Health

My Stay-at-Home Lab Shows How Face Coverings Can Slow the Spread of Disease

Face mask use in the general population and optimal resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19: How much protection do face masks offer? - Mayo Clinic News Network

Face masks with valves or vents do not prevent spread of coronavirus, CDC says

Face masks make a difference - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Frontiers Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Simple Protection Tool With Many Meanings