Strict mask, vaccine rules could have saved as many as 250K lives, says new study

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 118,000 to 248,000 more Americans could have survived the pandemic if all states implemented COVID-19 restrictions such as mask mandates and vaccine requirements. The study highlighted that school closures and social isolation for nursing home residents likely caused more harm than good. It estimated the value of lives potentially saved by stronger restrictions at between $1.2 trillion and $5.2 trillion.