by Nico Pronk
To heal our country we need to let science prevail. Masking should be a common-sense and science-based, non-partisan issue.
—Lawrence Leisure
Despite his enormous success in business, Larry Leisure is a down-to-earth guy. He personifies the laid-back, easy-going culture of Santa Monica, where he grew up.
Larry’s energy and enthusiasm are obvious when he talks with gusto about masks. MakeUsWell concurs with Larry. It is sad that masks have become politicized. The following write-up from Nico Pronk is the first of several where we explore the efficacy of masks and make an information-based case for their use.
Nico Pronk, PhD, is a MakeUsWell Charter Member. He is also Adjunct Professor for Social And Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and Co-Chair of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030 (aka “Healthy People 2030”).
Michael J. Critelli, MakeUsWell's CEO, writes "Nico is a scientist, in the best sense of the word; he is meticulous in his research and continually challenges himself to get better insights. Nico has a wonderful blend of academic accomplishment and practical application of health promotion principles, as is evident in his combined degrees in exercise physiological and social and behavioral medicine.
MakeUsWell edited Nico Pronk’s report for brevity.
Wearing a mask prevents community spread of coronavirus and supports workplace efforts to stay safe.
COVID-19 is spread person-to-person through close contact. To prevent virus spread, masking (wearing a mask) has emerged as an effective and simple response. Several recent studies consider how it works.