[Excerpt] – Wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by catching the tiny droplets that are released when we speak, cough, or sneeze.
- Wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by catching the tiny droplets that are released when we speak, cough, or sneeze.
- New research indicates that wearing a mask may also encourage people to physically distance themselves.
- Unfortunately, many Americans object to wearing masks.
- Experts say it’s important to educate ourselves about the facts.
- They also say it’s important to be kind and considerate of the needs of others.
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However, masks may also provide another benefit beyond containing the virus. A new study indicates they might also make people more likely to physically distance themselves.
What the study found
Massimo Marchiori, PhD, professor of computer science at University of Padua in Padua, Italy, decided to take the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to study how people actually behave when it comes to physical distancing.
What Marchiori found was quite dramatic.
When they weren’t wearing a mask, people tended to get quite close — sometimes within a foot away — when they passed by.
When they wore a mask, however, the distance maintained nearly doubled.
To access the full article, click on: People More Likely to Keep Their Distance If You’re Wearing a Mask
