Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Medicine

To mask or not to mask: That is still the question

August 23, 2024
in Medicine
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
To mask or not to mask: That is still the question
68
SHARES
618
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

CHICAGO — Despite the association between mask mandates/mask wearing and reduced death rates during the pandemic, masking remains controversial and highly politicized, with many people still asking, “do masks work, and should they be recommended?”

CHICAGO — Despite the association between mask mandates/mask wearing and reduced death rates during the pandemic, masking remains controversial and highly politicized, with many people still asking, “do masks work, and should they be recommended?”

In an editorial about the use of surgical face masks in public, published today, Aug. 23, in The BMJ, Northwestern Medicine internal medicine experts Drs. Jeffrey Linder and Rachel Amdur make the case for masking but acknowledge it’s not a cut-and-dried topic. 

The editorial is in response to recent findings from a Norwegian study published in The BMJ, which found modest benefits from masking. 

Media interested in speaking to the experts should contact Kristin Samuelson at ksamuelson@northwestern.edu.

The experts can speak about to media about:

  • Why mixed evidence on masking makes it difficult for public health officials to craft masking guidelines
  • The merits of masking and when mask mandates make sense
  • Who should mask and when
  • What could happen if future, more dangerous variants emerge or future pandemics occur
  • The medical implications of mask bans, such as the recently signed law in Nassau County, New York

“The way masks work is more complicated than simply blocking the transmission of infectious droplets or virus between people,” said Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “The mixed, subtle nature of the evidence means leadership decision-making is still going to be really hard.”

“This recent study shows that masking can lead to reduction in transmission, but there are likely behaviors (i.e. avoiding crowds, isolating when ill) that also contribute to reduced transmission,” said Amdur, assistant professor of medicine (general internal medicine) at Feinberg. “Public health officials would need to consider multiple measures, including mask mandates, if more dangerous variants emerge or in the case of future pandemics.”



Journal

The BMJ

DOI

10.1136/bmj.q1843

Article Title

Surgical face masks to prevent respiratory symptoms

Share27Tweet17
Previous Post

Rice bioengineers develop lotus leaf-inspired system to advance study of cancer cell clusters

Next Post

Turning bacteria into bioplastic factories

Related Posts

blank
Medicine

Enhancing Organ Viability Assessment with Advanced Perfusion

August 26, 2025
blank
Medicine

Boosting Graduate Seminar Engagement Through Active Learning

August 26, 2025
blank
Medicine

USP24 Boosts PKA-Cα, Driving MASH Progression

August 26, 2025
blank
Medicine

Excitatory-Inhibitory Imbalance Linked to Alzheimer’s Proteins

August 26, 2025
blank
Medicine

Evaluating ECDaim Software’s Standardization Performance in Taiwan

August 26, 2025
blank
Medicine

Cochleates: Promise and Perils in Drug Delivery

August 26, 2025
Next Post
Purple bacteria

Turning bacteria into bioplastic factories

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27539 shares
    Share 11012 Tweet 6883
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    952 shares
    Share 381 Tweet 238
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    641 shares
    Share 256 Tweet 160
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    508 shares
    Share 203 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    312 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Enhancing Organ Viability Assessment with Advanced Perfusion
  • Exploring Al-Ga-Bi-Sn-Pb Alloy for Alkaline Air Batteries
  • Cognitive Challenges in Stable Schizophrenia Patients
  • Boosting Graduate Seminar Engagement Through Active Learning

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,859 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading