Face masks in public spaces do not provide any greater protection to the population,” Johan Carlson from the Swedish Public Health Agency Folkhälsomyndigheten said at a press conference on May 13th.
Swedish health authorities argue that keeping a distance, washing your hands, not touching your face, and staying at home if you experience any symptoms are still the best ways to halt the spread of the coronavirus. There is a concern that wearing face masks would make people follow these guidelines less strictly.
- There is a risk of a false sense of security.
- The virus can gather in the mask and when you take it off, the virus can be transferred to your hands and thereby spread further.
- Worn properly, masks might reduce the spread of infection if worn by those with asymptomatic infections, even if they might not protect the wearer themselves.
https://www.thelocal.se/20200514/explained-why-is-sweden-not-recommending-face-masks-to-the-public