Not surprisingly, yes. During the influenza pandemic of 1818-1919 (a.k.a. "The Spanish Flu"), everyone wore masks when they were in a public setting. For the cities that were early adopters of social distancing and mask-wearing, they flattened the curve and saves many lives. Other cities that did not act so quickly saw massive spikes in cases and deaths.
Click the picture for a collection of photos from the National Archives via The National Review.
