Mandatory universal masking is the key to stop COVID-19

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the culprit of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), continues amplifying at a pandemic speed as the case and death tolls in the worst hit countries soared to new highs. While cases of COVID-19 surpassed 4.6 million in the United States (US), President Trump's initial resistance to experts' pleas of wearing masks in public areas inflicted fierce debates centered on universal masking. Internationally, governments have adopted different possible non-pharmaceutical means in an attempt to contain COVID-19 while waiting for vaccines and specific treatments [1]. Among all, we believe early implementation of mandatory universal masking is key to successful control of the pandemic.