As we write this piece, Covid-19 as a virus and our understanding of it, is at its infancy. The first case has been hypothesized to be transmitted somewhere in the third week of November 2019. Since then, our evaluation, confirmation, and distribution of scientific findings regarding the virus has lagged behind the spread of the virus. This is understandable. However, we have to use any piece of confirmed knowledge to curb the transmission rate of the virus, even if the information is anecdotal.
A case has been reported, comparing the cluster transmission rate of Covid-19, within public transportation. This case follows a male patient traveling back to his home in Chongqing, China (his original location was not mentioned). During this travel, the patient took two buses. This first bus ride, took 2 hours and 10 minutes, and had 39 other passengers aboard. The male patient noticed himself coughing, however did not have a mask to wear. When arriving in his county, and traveling to his home, the patient took another bus, traveling duration of 50 minutes, with 14 other passengers on board. Between these two bus rides, the patient bought a mask and wore it (the specification of the mask were not mentioned).
Epidemiological investigations showed that 5 others were infected within the first bus, and no infections were seen in the second bus ride. This was done through monitoring the riders with two temperature checks per day and 14-days of medical observation.
This anecdotal study can highlight the effectiveness in decreasing the transmission of Covid-19 from an infected individual, when the infected person wears the mask. Many studies have been done showing that a typical surgical mask (not an N95 mask) does not however prevent infection of a non-infected person – however it is better than nothing.