In a video posted to an Irish Facebook page, a “former secondary school teacher” says that there is “so much information out there to prove that [masks] do not stop viruses”.
The speaker in the video uses the claim to argue against any requirement for students to wear a mask in schools.
However, the assertion is incorrect. Peer-reviewed studies overwhelmingly conclude that masks are a useful tool to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The video has been viewed more than 16,000 times since it was posted on 2 November and received over 1,000 reactions and 168 comments, but shares inaccurate information about masks.
Masks can block transmission of Covid-19 in two ways.
Firstly, they can block particles that a person exhales which could contain the virus, and secondly, masks can reduce the risk posed to a person breathing in by filtering droplets and particles from outside their mask.
Masks are being worn in countries around the world as part of measures to fight Covid-19 and are recommended by international health organisations because there is a wide body of evidence to support their use.
The National Academy of Sciences in the US published a review of evidence for using face masks against Covid-19 in January that found masks are an effective tool to reduce community transmission.
It looked at a wide range of studies to consider evidence on the...
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