CNBC has some details on a new study.
Basically, researchers put infected and uninfected hamsters in nearby cages, and even added a fan to blow the virus from the sick rodents to the well ones. Unsurprisingly, in this control group, about two-thirds of the healthy hamsters got sick.
When they put mask material over the healthy hamsters’ cages, the number fell by half. And a mask over the sick hamsters was even more effective, cutting transmission by three-quarters.
I’m not sure a hamster study is what we needed to convince the anti-mask crowd at this point, but it confirms what we know from plenty of other lab work. Masks keep viruses in, and to a lesser extent keep them out as well. Wear one if you go to an indoor public place or anywhere crowded. If you can’t get a surgical mask, go with a bandana or towel. It’s a cheap, easy way to make further lockdowns far less likely.