Mask-wearing is the most effective public health behaviour in curbing the spread of COVID-19, reducing infections by more than half, an Australian-led review shows.

Donning a mask, hand-washing and maintaining physical distance are all linked with reductions in the incidence of the virus according to the researchers who reviewed 72 studies.

Their systematic review looked at non-pharmaceutical public health measures and their impact on the incidence, transmission and fatality of COVID-19.

In a meta-analysis of eight studies, they found mask-wearing reduced the incidence of COVID-19 by 53% while physical distancing reduced it by 25%.