Billionaire Salesforce founder Marc Benioff claimed the coronavirus would disappear from the US in 3 weeks if everyone wore a mask

"We would not have anymore coronavirus because there would be no more spread, but people do not want to wear masks," he told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer.
Benioff didn't provide any specific evidence for the three week claim, although there is growing evidence that face masks help prevent transmission of the virus.
Mask wearing is encouraged by the US' top medical and disease officials, including Anthony Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
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American billionaire Marc Benioff claimed in a CNBC interview on Monday that if everyone in the US wore a mask, the coronavirus crisis would be over in the country in three weeks.

"Masks are so important," he said on CNBC's "Mad Money."

"If everyone in the United States wore a mask for three weeks just three weeks we would not have anymore coronavirus because there would be no more spread, but people do not want to wear masks."

He went on to cite the example of Japan which he said has a "mask-wearing culture" noting the low number of infections in the country.

Benioff didn't provide any specific evidence for the three week claim, although there is growing evidence that face masks help prevent transmission of the virus, and senior officials are encouraging their use in public places

Both Benioff and Mad Money's host Jim Cramer have pursued the issue of mask wearing to highlight their belief that mask wearing will end the pandemic faster than otherwise.

The two are sponsoring the " Next-Gen Mask Challenge ," a contest launched to aid the fight against COVID-19 by a non-profit, XPRIZE Foundation.

Global coalition XPRIZE has launched a $1 million prize purse for contest winners to create innovative and effective protective masks which will be adopted by the public.

Read more : UBS says buy these 18 diamond-in-the-rough stocks that will offer massive gains over multiple years, even as their underlying industries suffer Over an eight-month challenge, young adults between the ages 15 to 24 are invited to produce masks that will allow for scaled manufacturing. "We understand that masks can be ill-fitting, uncomfortable, unfashionable, and that the most effective masks are often unavailable or expensive for everyday people," said Peter Diamandis, founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation. "We need an alternative, that's why XPRIZE is turning to the world's young innovators to help reinvent the face mask and create an accessible alternative that will help protect against the spread of COVID-19." Last weekend, President Trump was seen wearing a face mask for the first time since the pandemic struck while he was visiting the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. ALEX EDELMAN/Getty Leading experts, including diseases chief Dr. Anthony Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome Adams have strongly encouraged mask wearing in public, but implementation of that advice has been controversial, with many trying to turn wearing a mask into a political debate. Many anti-mask protesters have fought against this advice on the argument that face coverings infringe on their rights. Some have claimed their conditions make mask-wearing dangerous, an assertion largely disputed by experts, while others suggest that the strips of fabric limits oxygen intake. Read more : A Wall Street investment chief dispels the notion that surging stocks are disconnected from the economy and lays out 3 reasons why the market will continue to climb over the next year NOW WATCH: What makes 'Parasite' so shocking is the twist that happens in a 10-minute sequence See Also: US weekly jobless claims hit 1.3 million, less than economist forecasts A former top White House official blasts 'simply inexcusable' delays for coronavirus tests These 4 economic signals suggest the COVID-19 recovery is losing steam as cases spike SEE ALSO: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/mohamed-el-erian-warns-financial-stress-covid-19-not-over-2020-7-1029391241