Universal masking to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission from Taiwan’s practices

Abstract

In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan, with its universal masking policy, slowed down the spread of cases and flattened its epidemic curve without enforcing lockdown or mass quarantine in 2020. This study identifies the distinguishing features of Taiwan’s universal masking policy practice, such as priority, continuous improvement, multi-stakeholder partnership, transparency and accountability, and altruism and social solidarity. By confronting uncertainty through the COVID-19 crisis, this study suggests that face masking, rather than being just a physical barrier of non-pharmacological intervention, can be adopted as an interactive policy platform to empower the public for stimulating cross-sector collaboration towards social innovation and creating spillover effects, such as acts of public trust, altruism, and solidarity.