According to a new report, mandatory use of facial masks can slow the spread of coronavirus by up to 40 percent.

Scientists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Southern Denmark studied Jena, the first German city on 6 April, which made it mandatory for citizens who drive trains, buses and enter stores.

The study found that the number of new COVID-19 infections recorded in the city dropped by 23 percent over the next 20 days.

While collecting data from other regions, the researchers concluded that they found a strong curve smoothing effect, and wearing facial masks concluded that the daily growth rate of reported coronavirus infections by about 40%.

“This is a big impact. Apparently, face masks significantly helped reduce the spread of Covid-19. ” Published for the Institute of Labor Economics.

“The most convincing argument emphasizes that Jena brought face masks before other regions,” the article continued.

“While face masks were declared as the first region in Germany, no other public health measures were taken or decreased in our post-treatment period. Thus, it provides the clearest trial of its effects. “

Jeremy Howard, a researcher who was not involved in the research at the University of San Francisco, The London Times said the results are meaningful

“You can see the dramatic and sudden deviation between Jena and the average of other regions that have similar results before,” he said.

However, Antonio Lazzarino from London University College said he was skeptical.

“This is a non-experimental study, so causal inference cannot be claimed,” The Times said.

“There are too many assumptions,” he said.