Yes, Masks Work. Send This (Science-Based) Story To Anyone Who Says Otherwise.

Just when you thought masks were so 2020, more people are wearing them again as COVID hospitalizations and deaths have increased, and flu, RSV, and other illnesses also are surging in what’s being called a “tripledemic.”

Public health officials in Washington state, Los Angeles, and New York are urging people to wear masks indoors — especially in crowded areas like public transit. Earlier this month, CDC director Rochelle Walensky also recommended people wear masks again during the holiday season to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID, flu, and RSV.

But some people are still debating the basic fact that masks work — nearly three years after the start of the pandemic. Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky recently tweeted that “the data shows masks don’t work.” Marjorie Taylor Greene, another actual member of Congress, also questioned unironically how masks could possibly prevent COVID if pants can’t protect from farts. (In case you’re wondering, as a University of Virginia chemistry professor explained in 2020, gaseous fart molecules are way smaller than particles containing viruses, which is why they pass through even the best-quality undies.)

We asked experts to break down the evidence — again — when it comes to masks and respiratory viruses, when and where they are wearing them now, and when it’s OK to skip them.

So do masks really work? “Yes,” said Dr. Waleed Javaid, epidemiologist and director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York City. “As we saw during this COVID pandemic, when we had increased use of masks, we saw a decrease in all respiratory infections.”

Of course, masks have drawbacks: They can be uncomfortable and make it harder for some people to communicate. But contrary to some conspiracy theories and junk science, wearing masks isn’t physically harmful, even for kids, and they can help ensure you don’t get sick during the holidays.

Masking misinformation

Then why don’t some people believe they work? “It’s a combination of misinformation, fatigue, and ideology, coupled together with missed opportunities for public health messaging,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, chief of infectious diseases with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.

There’s so much conflicting info out there that it’s not surprising people may be confused.

During a crisis, government institutions should proactively share information and anticipate there will be some misinformation that will affect how people respond, said Julia Raifman, assistant professor of health law, policy, and management at the Boston University School of Public Health. “Unfortunately, we have not seen the CDC leadership effectively communicate information on masks and mask policies.”

Articles in the New York Times and Bloomberg on the supposed ineffectiveness of mask mandates (the latter of which was highlighted in a not-funny Saturday Night Live sketch last March) sent confusing messages about mask policies, Raifman said. In short, if you actually read the articles, which were published earlier this year, one reason mask mandates may not work as well as they should is because people are not wearing masks consistently and correctly.

It doesn’t help that people in positions of power continue to deliberately muddy the waters.

“It’s unfortunate that masking has been so politicized, and messaging like this from public figures is confusing and detrimental to public health efforts, ultimately putting vulnerable people at risk,” Ostrosky-Zeichner said.

Dodging droplets

But if you know a doubter (or are one) who’s open to actual science from people who’ve been to medical school, here’s a refresher on how masks work. Respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and the flu spread through respiratory droplets, produced during breathing, Javaid said, adding, “These droplets are blocked using masks.”

And this method works best if the person exhaling that droplet-laden breath and the person potentially at risk for inhaling it are both wearing masks. “Masks are most effective if the person with COVID and the people around them are wearing masks,” Raifman said. “This is what universal mask policies achieve.”

The effectiveness of masks isn’t new information for doctors, who have worn them for decades. (Think about it: Would you want a surgeon operating on you without one?)

“Surgical/medical masks are designed to prevent droplets from entering our respiratory system; that has been our understanding before the pandemic,” Javaid said. “[This] was proven useful during the COVID pandemic as the majority of COVID infections spread through respiratory droplets.”

Certain masks, such as N95s, which filter 95% of all particles, also protect against smaller, airborne aerosols that can contain viruses. These aerosols can hang in the air longer and evade lower-quality masks.

“The higher the quality of the…