More Mask Wearing Could Save 130,000 US Lives by End of February

A cumulative 511,000 lives could be lost from COVID-19 in the United States by the end of February 2021, a new prediction study reveals. However, if universal mask wearing is adopted — defined as 95% of Americans complying with the protective measure — along with social distancing mandates as warranted, nearly 130,000 of those lives could be saved. And if even 85% of Americans comply, an additional 95,800 lives would be spared before March of next year, researchers at the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) report. The study was published online October 23 in Nature Medicine. “We want policymakers to know what to expect in the coming winter — to better prepare for hospital needs,” study coauthor Ali H. Mokdad, PhD, told Medscape Medical News. He noted that this national study has some very real local implications. For