Medical Hypotheses Volume 146, January 2021, 110411 Facemasks in the COVID-19 era: A health hypothesis
Cardiology Division, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
Received 4 October 2020, Revised 28 October 2020, Accepted 19 November 2020, Available online 22 November 2020. crossmark-logo https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110411
Abstract Many countries across the globe utilized medical and non-medical facemasks as non-pharmaceutical intervention for reducing the transmission and infectivity of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Although, scientific evidence supporting facemasks’ efficacy is lacking, adverse physiological, psychological and health effects are established. Is has been hypothesized that facemasks have compromised safety and efficacy profile and should be avoided from use. The current article comprehensively summarizes scientific evidences with respect to wearing facemasks in the COVID-19 era, providing prosper information for public health and decisions making.
