Face Coverings Likely to Protect against Flu, Too

Remember the Swiss cheese analogy used by Amy Acton, M.D. (’90), the former director of the Ohio Department of Health, to describe efforts used to flatten the COVID-19 curve?

Health experts including Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University, believe that wearing face coverings this flu season may help protect against the flu, in addition to COVID-19, by adding another such layer.

“Wearing a mask will likely decrease transmission of the flu as well,” said Dr. Watkins in a recent interview with Women’s Health.

Both viruses are spread primarily through infected respiratory droplets.