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. 2020 Apr 15;7(4):ofaa131.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa131. eCollection 2020 Apr.

The Time for Universal Masking of the Public for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Is Now

Monica Gandhi  1 , Diane Havlir  1
Affiliations

The Time for Universal Masking of the Public for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Is Now

Monica Gandhi et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. .

Abstract

In this perspective, we recommend universal masking of the US public during coronavirus disease 2019 due to the high contagiousness of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), viral shedding of viable SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic individuals, and the likely contribution of masking to core distancing public health strategies for curbing transmission.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; public; surgical masks; viral shedding.

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References

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