# 3588
On Monday night of this week I blogged on a new study (see Study: Facemasks And Influenza Transmission In Households) which strongly suggested that the use of facemasks, along with frequent hand washing, might reduce the transmission of influenza within a household environment.
This study, when taken in combination with other’s we’ve seen over the past few years ( see Study: Facemasks Reduce Transmission Of Respiratory Viruses, Any Mask In A Viral Storm?), supports the idea that these sorts of NPI’s (Non Pharmaceutical Interventions) can be effective if rigorously employed.
Is this proof positive, beyond a doubt, of the efficacy of facemasks? No.
That sort of ironclad conclusion is pretty tough to come by when there are so many variables at work.
Today the Reveres at Effect Measure take us on a much deeper tour of this paper, and point out some of the practical difficulties involved in doing, and interpreting, this kind of study.
Highly recommended.
The hand washing/face mask paper on flu transmission
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