Thank you. Interesting stuff. This is the only study I've seen that actually presents evidence for masks slowing the spread. The comment section is a worthwhile read, too. I would like to see another study like this that's more recent, given that some locales started their mask mandate after May 15. I would also like to see if there's an effect on deaths and hospitalizations (the idea being, if mask mandates only slow the growth of asymptomatic cases, they are quite useless from a health perspective).

> if mask mandates only slow the growth of asymptomatic cases, they are quite useless from a health perspective

If mask mandates slow the growth of asymptomatic cases, the R number must be lower.

As we all should know by now, reducing R is a good target, as the difference between R > 1 and R < 1 is profound, and R is thought to be close enough to 1 that measures taking place can make that difference.

This is very useful from a health perspective.

i would like for everyone to just put a mask on and quit trying to appear clever.

> Because mask wearing by infected people can reduce transmission risk, and because of the high proportion of asymptomatic infected individuals and transmissions, there appears to be a strong case for the effectiveness of widespread use of face masks in reducing the spread of COVID-19. However, there is no direct evidence thus far on the magnitude of such effects, especially at a population level.

Thank you for the link.