Does the use of face masks in the general population make a difference to spread of infection?, 7 April 2020
Rapid review prepared by UNCOVER on face masks for the general population.
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Review prepared by academics on whether the use of face masks in the general population makes a difference to spread of infection. It was considered at SAGE 24 on 9 April 2020.
The review was produced by UNCOVER.
Redactions within this document have been made to remove any personal details.
It should be viewed in context: the paper was the best assessment of the evidence at the time of writing. The picture is developing rapidly and, as new evidence or data emerges, SAGE updates its advice accordingly.
Therefore, some of the information in this paper may have been superseded and the author’s opinion or conclusion may since have developed.
These documents are released as pre-print publications that have provided the government with rapid evidence during an emergency. These documents have not been peer-reviewed and there is no restriction on authors submitting and publishing this evidence in peer-reviewed journals.