Lockdowns, social distancing and face masks ‘unequivocally reduced Covid infections’, report finds

Measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic such as social distancing and wearing face masks “unequivocally” reduced the spread of infections, a new report has found.

Experts looked at how effective non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) – not drugs or vaccines – were when applied in packages that combine a number of measures that complement each other.

The Royal Society report, called Covid-19: Examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions, reviewed the evidence gathered during the pandemic for six groups of NPIs and their effectiveness in reducing transmission.

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These included masks and face coverings, social distancing and lockdowns, test, trace and isolate, travel restrictions and controls across international borders, environmental controls, and communications.

When assessed individually, there was positive – if limited – evidence of transmission reduction from many of the NPIs used in the pandemic, the review found.

However, evidence of a positive effect was clear when countries used combinations of NPIs.

Additionally, evidence showed NPIs were most effective when the intensity of transmission was low, supporting their use early in a pandemic and at first sign of resurgence.

During the early stages of responding to an emerging infectious disease, NPIs tend to be the only controls available before the development of drug treatments and vaccines.

However, as was seen around the world during the pandemic, their use can have adverse personal, educational and economic consequences – making assessment of their effectiveness essential.

Professor Sir Mark Walport, foreign secretary of the Royal Society and chairman of the report’s