The shameful lies about masks not working for civilians will kill thousands. Evidence based medicine (over the modern Bayesian Science-based medicine) has paralyzed our health officials from making common sense calls off priors. Homemade masks appear to be reasonably effective. The official response should be to make some form of improvised mask required when out of home, and ration regular mask for health care workers.
Even a scarf made of a t-shirt over the nose and mouth will likely reduce RO when used at scale on the population. The best way to protect healthcare workers is to reduce the R0 below 1. Nothing else will help. Widespread use of homemade masks, though not tested in a double blind trial, is low risk enough and seemingly effective enough to encourage.
Countries enforcing widespread mask use have lower ROs.
Even a scarf made of a t-shirt over the nose and mouth will likely reduce RO when used at scale on the population. The best way to protect healthcare workers is to reduce the R0 below 1. Nothing else will help. Widespread use of homemade masks, though not tested in a double blind trial, is low risk enough and seemingly effective enough to encourage.
Countries enforcing widespread mask use have lower ROs.