DY > Show me evidence that cloth masks do anything
The Impact of Community Masking on COVID-19: A Cluster-Randomized Trial in Bangladesh, Sep 2021A
by Jason Abaluck et al
they randomized 600 villages with no and different types of masks and followed for 8 weeks. Surgical masks show 12% decrease of symptomatic cases and 35% in 60+ y.olds . Really cloth masks – 6%, not sure why someone wears those when surgical ones are available. SD increased by 5% (7% in the market, 0% in mosques)
Note this is a result of real-life intervention by giving out masks, not by forcing everyone to wear them. In villages with no intervention, 13% would wear them, after intervention – 42%. Also increased in mosques. Distribution of masks mattered, no additional measures – text messages, payments, ads did not matter.