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Journal article
Should N95 respirators be recommended for the general public: A mathematical explanation
Letters in Biomathematics, Vol.7, pp.143-152
7
2020
Abstract
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.
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- Title
- Should N95 respirators be recommended for the general public
- Publication Details
- Letters in Biomathematics, Vol.7, pp.143-152
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Inc.; United States
- Series
- 7
- Copyright
- Permission granted to the University of West Florida Libraries to digitize and/or display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires the permission of the copyright holder. ©2020 The Authors
- Identifiers
- 99380090881606600
- Academic Unit
- Computer Science
- Language
- English