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Title: Should N95 Respirators be Recommended for the General Public
Public health advisories recommend against the use of the N95 respirator by the general public in the current COVID-19 pandemic. These advisories are primarily motivated by the collective goal of reducing the reproduction number to below one. However, cultural factors may dissuade the public from adopting recommendations from models optimized for the collective good. This article presents a discussion of mathematical issues that ought to guide an advisory from an individualistic perspective. In particular, we argue that the public health advisory does not appear justified if one considers non-linearity in the dose-response relationship and heterogeneity in infection load in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The N95 respirator promises far greater effectiveness than homemade or surgical masks. However, due to a considerable variation in masks’ brands and efficiencies, the public should look into the specific details of each available mask option.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2027514 1931511
PAR ID:
10218039
Author(s) / Creator(s):
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Letters in biomathematics
Volume:
7
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2373-7867
Page Range / eLocation ID:
143-152
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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