Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS

When are masks most useful? COVID cases offer hints

Masks offer the greatest protection indoors and during long exposures to people infected with the coronavirus — but other public-health measures matter, too.
  1. Ariana Remmel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

An analysis of hundreds of COVID-19 cases suggests that face masks are most protective in specific circumstances, such as exposure to a person with COVID-19 that lasts for more than three hours or that takes place indoors1.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03030-3

References

  1. Andrejko, K. L. et al. Preprint at medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.20.21265295 (2021).

  2. Abaluck, J. et al. Innovations for Poverty Action Working Paper https://www.poverty-action.org/publication/impact-community-masking-covid-19-cluster-randomized-trial-bangladesh (2021).

  3. Bundgaard, H. et al. Ann. Intern. Med. 174, 335–343 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

  • Faculty Positions at SUSTech Department of Biomedical Engineering

    The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) , Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), seeks outstanding applicants for full-tim...

    Shenzhen

    Department of Biomedical Engineering, SUSTech

  • Postdoctoral Fellows/Research scientists

    We are seeking for highly motivated postdoctoral fellows to join in Dr. Thanh Hoang?s lab in the University of Michigan. Our research encompasses a...

    United States, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan

    University of Michigan

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow

    POSTDOCTORAL POSITION -- DEPARTMENT OF UROLOGY – BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL A postdoctoral position is open in the Urolo...

    Boston, Massachusetts (US)

    Boston Children's Hospital (BCH)

  • Specialist in Genetic Trials and Precision Medicine

    The position We are looking for a highly qualified and innovative Specialist in Genetics Trials and Precision Medicine, to implement cutting-edge h...

    Oxford, Oxfordshire

    Novo Nordisk

  • Post doctor (2 years) within carbon burial in Arctic lakes

    The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within a project on carbon burial in Arctic lakes.

    Umeå, Sweden

    Umeå University

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links