Does it make sense to wear a mask outdoors most of the time? Short answer: No. The science doesn’t support it.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread"> https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/briefing/police-shooting-putin-russia-blake-bailey.html?referringSource=articleShare">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/2...

There are few if any documented cases of brief outdoor interactions leading to Covid transmission. If you’re passing other people on a sidewalk or sitting near them on a park bench, the exposure of exhaled particles appears to be too small to lead to infection.

(2/x)

As @mugecevik, an infectious-disease expert at the University of St. Andrews, says, outdoors is “not where the infection and transmission occurs.”

But why not try to eliminate even a minuscule potential risk and tell people to wear a mask at all times? Because that’s not an effective way to reduce overall risk.

“The guidelines should be based on science and practicality,” Linsey Marr says.

There ARE times when mask-wearing is very important — especially in indoor situations. It makes sense for public-health messaging to be truthful about what matters and what doesn’t.

I recommend my colleague @taraparkerpope’s new piece that explains what we know about masks in the outdoors: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/well/live/covid-masks-outdoors.html?referringSource=articleShare">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/2...