Pre-emptive low cost social distancing and enhanced hygiene implemented before local COVID-19 transmission could decrease the number and severity of cases.
Dalton 5MAR20
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....act_id=3549276
The use of masks outside of health settings is controversial and it is important that masks not be diverted from health care supplies.
However, surgical masks are protective of large droplet spread and have approximately half the effectiveness of N95 mask for small droplet transmission, and are suggested to be cost saving in some modelled pandemic influenza scenarios. NOTE 20
They may have a limited role in the community setting prior to widespread transmission if there are adequate supplies and should be considered for use in households caring for COVID-19 cases at home. NOTE 16
16. Wein LM, Atkinson MP. Assessing infection control measures for pandemic influenza. Risk Anal. 2009;29:949–962.
20. Mukerji S, MacIntyre CR, Newall AT. Review of economic evaluations of mask and respirator use for protection against respiratory infection transmission. BMC Infect Dis. 2015;15:413. Published 2015 Oct 13. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1167-6.