Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/223761 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 13319
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We use the synthetic control method to analyze the effect of face masks on the spread of Covid-19 in Germany. Our identification approach exploits regional variation in the point in time when face masks became compulsory. Depending on the region we analyse, we find that face masks reduced the cumulative number of registered Covid-19 cases between 2.3% and 13% over a period of 10 days after they became compulsory. Assessing the credibility of the various estimates, we conclude that face masks reduce the daily growth rate of reported infections by around 40%.
Subjects: 
COVID-19
public health measures
face masks
synthetic control method
Germany
JEL: 
I18
C23
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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