Homemade cloth face masks to fight the COVID19 pandemic; a call for mass public masking with homemade cloth masks

As we face the COVID-19 pandemic our country is largely ignoring a potential transmission control tool – the community’s use of facial masks in public spaces. Ample evidence from historical studies (early 1900’s), modern filtration experiments of different materials and pathogens, and observational studies exists to suggest that mass masking of the community would decrease the transmissivity of SARS-CoV-2 and accelerate the flattening of the curve in which we are engaged. The WHO and CDC claim a lack of randomized trials as rationale for not promoting community use of face masks. But we have shut down the schools, workplaces, and social events. Where are the randomized trials of social distancing? We trust the science on social distancing. Let us trust the science on the community use of face masks. Given the aggressive nature of the pathogen we face we should bring all potential interventions to the fight against COVID-19, including the mass use of face masks of the community. With potentially devastating shortages of N95 respirators and surgical masks for clinicians, community masks should be homemade cloth that are effective at acting as source control interventions. Let us scale up the fabrication of a billion homemade cloth face masks and wear them in public.