Zorro versus Covid-19: fighting the pandemic with face masks

To confront the global Covid-19 pandemic and reduce the spread of the virus, we need to better understand if face mask use is effective to contain the outbreak and investigate the potential drivers in favor of mask adoption. It is highly questionable since there is no consensus among the general public despite official recommendations. For the first time, we conduct a panel econometric exercise to assess the dynamic impact of face mask use on both infected cases and fatalities at a global scale. We reveal a negative impact of mask wearing on fatality rates and on the Covid-19 number of infected cases. The delay of action varies from around 7 days to 28 days concerning infected cases but is more longer concerning fatalities. We also document the increasing adoption of mask use over time. We find that population density and pollution levels are significant determinants of heterogeneity regarding mask adoption across countries, while altruism, trust in government and demographics are not. Surprisingly, government effectiveness and income level (GDP) have an unexpected influence. However, strict government policies against Covid-19 have the most significant effect on mask use. Therefore, the most effective way of increasing the level of mask wearing is to enforce strict laws on the wearing of masks.