Population-wide use of facemasks keeps the coronavirus 'reproduction number' under 1.0, and prevents further waves of the virus when combined with lockdowns, a modelling study from the universities of Cambridge and Greenwich suggests.

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The research suggests that lockdowns alone will not stop the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2, and that even homemade masks with limited effectiveness can dramatically reduce transmission rates if worn by enough people, regardless of whether they show symptoms.

The researchers call for information campaigns across wealthy and developing nations alike that appeal to our altruistic side: "my facemask protects you, your facemask protects me." The findings are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A.