Wearing masks could save more than 100,000 US lives through February, new study suggests
If 95% of Americans wore masks in public, more than 100,000 lives could be saved from COVID-19 through February, suggests.
The study 바카라 게임 웹사이트 from the COVID-19 forecasting team at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation 바카라 게임 웹사이트 notes that as of Sept. 21, only about 49% of U.S. residents reported that they "always" wear a mask in public.
If mask-wearing remains 49% through February and states continue with removing social-distancing mandates, the COVID-19 death toll across the United States could reach about 1 million deaths by Feb. 28, according to the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine on Friday.
Under the assumption that states shut down when their daily death rate exceeds eight deaths per 1 million people but mask-wearing doesn't change, the study's model projections forecast the death toll could reach 511,373 deaths by Feb. 28.
The scenario that 95% of people in each state wear masks 바카라 게임 웹사이트 in addition to states reinstating social-distancing mandates if their daily death rates exceed exceed deaths per 1 million people 바카라 게임 웹사이트 resulted in the lowest death toll projection, with 381,798 deaths by Feb. 28, according to the study.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data on COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States from Feb. 1 through Sept. 21. That analysis 바카라 게임 웹사이트 along with other factors, such as pneumonia seasonality, testing rates and mask use 바카라 게임 웹사이트 helped inform model projections for the course of the pandemic through Feb. 28.
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The study had some limitations, including that the findings are only forecast projections from models and not definitive about what the future holds.
IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray emphasized during a virtual press briefing Friday that the institute's weekly modeling projections provide more updated data than what is provided in the study. However, the study still helps offer insight into how mask-wearing can make a difference.