Covid public health strategies such as masks, hand washing and social distancing should continue as the "first choice" in prevention, concluded experts in a new study.
In a paper published by the British Medical Journal, researchers looked at studies where masks were found to reduce Covid rates by 53 percent.
Meanwhile, hand washing reduced Covid rates by 53 percent while social distancing decreased infections by 25 percent.
The paper was conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and universities in Australia and China.
It analysed 72 different studies on different public health measures in reducing Covid rates, transmission and deaths.
The lead author, Dr Stella Talic of Monash University in Australia, said: "Until herd immunity to Covid-19 is reached, regardless of the already proven high vaccination rates, public health preventive strategies are likely to remain as first choice measures in disease prevention, particularly in places with a low uptake of Covid-19 vaccination."
The peer-reviewed paper evaluated studies from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, Australia and the US.
It looked at 72 studies - 35 evaluated individual public health measures and 37 assessed multiple public health measures.
Of the 35 studies of individual measures, 34 were observational and one was a randomised controlled trial.
The researchers found that in eight of the 35 studies there was a 53 percent reduction in Covid rates with mask wearing while there was a 25 percent reduction with social distancing.
Handwashing also showed a 53 percent reduction in Covid rates but the authors say this was not statistically significant after adjusting for the small number of studies included.
Meanwhile detailed analysis for other measures – such as lockdowns, closing borders, schools and workplaces – was said not to be possible due to differences in study design, outcome measures and quality.
They added that there needs to be further assessment on those measures so that the potential negative effects on general populations can be weighed up against any positive results.
The researchers state that while Covid vaccines have proved to be safe, effective and save lives, most do not give 100 percent protection and it is not known how vaccines will prevent future transmissions in different variants.
Concluding the research, Dr Talic added: "Current evidence from quantitative analyses indicates a benefit associated with handwashing, mask wearing, and physical distancing in reducing the incidence of Covid.
"Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of public health measures after adequate vaccination coverage has been achieved.
"It is likely that further control of the Covid-19 pandemic depends not only on high vaccination coverage and its effectiveness but also on ongoing adherence to effective and sustainable public health measures."
The study was conducted by researchers from Monash University and Torrens University in Australia, the University of Edinburgh and Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou in China.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
