In the United States, policies on mask wearing have varied from state to state over the course of the pandemic. Our study accounted for temporality by staggering COVID-19 outcome data after adherence measures. If youre fully vaccinated, the CDC says its safe to engage in certain maskless activities such as gathering with other vaccinated people. She holds a Masters in Psychology concentrating on Behavioral Neuroscience. Its a graph that should be required viewing for everyone still wearing a mask and every public official or journalist who still insists that mask mandates control the spread.. Mr. Hale said the Oxford data makes it clear that acting quickly and forcefully is the best shot governments have to combat the virus. Several cities and large counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Hillsborough (which includes Tampa), had mask requirements, but Gov. Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work. The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It. Coronavirus cases are rising in almost every U.S. state. The current surge is worst in places with few containment measures. The mandates typically began early in the pandemic in 2020 and remained until at least the summer of 2021, with some extending into 2022. Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America, Roles | Yes For now, relaxing some mask guidelines while staying vigilant is the government's compromise. The claim: CDC study found that face masks have a negligible effect on the spread of COVID-19. Many states in the Upper Midwest and Mountain West resisted more stringent control measures, like limits on gatherings and mask mandates. Nor did it look at actual mask wearing, as opposed to legal requirements. But then Fauci, like the CDC and the WHO, bowed to political expediency and media hysteria. Massachusetts. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Of note, there were no states with 75% in September. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 5, ", U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nov. 27, 2020, ", Health Affairs, June 16 2020, "Community Use Of Face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US", Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, Dec. 3, 2020, ", U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feb. 12, ", CDC: Face masks dont prevent COVID-19, study finds masks have negligible impact on coronavirus numbers., Association of State-Issued Mask Mandates and Allowing On-Premises Restaurant Dining with County-Level COVID-19 Case and Death Growth Rates United States, March 1December 31, 2020, Trends in County-Level COVID-19 Incidence in Counties With and Without a Mask Mandate Kansas, June 1August 23, 2020, Governor Laura Kelly Announces Masks Must be Worn Statewide, Differences in rapid increases in county-level COVID-19 incidence by implementation of statewide closures and mask mandates United States, June 1September 30, 2020, Germany to oblige mandatory face masks from Monday, Face masks considerably reduce COVID-19 cases in Germany, Decline in COVID-19 Hospitalization Growth Rates Associated with Statewide Mask Mandates 10 States, MarchOctober 2020, subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find articles in your field. John Tierney is a contributing editor of City Journal and coauthor of The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It. We used state-level data on mask wearing policy for the general public and on proportion of residents who stated they always wear masks in public. Prior to adopting mask mandates, those municipalities that eventually adopted mandates had higher transmission rates than the rest of the state, with the mean case rate difference per 100,000 people increasing by 0.32 cases per day (slope of difference = 0.32; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.51). When Youve Been Fully Vaccinated. Because stay-at-home order, mask wearing policy, mask adherence, and COVID-19 rates can vary from month to month, we listed those states with consistent classifications across the period April through September (or May through October for COVID-19 rates). When the outbreak slammed the New York City area in March and April, leaders locked down. ", More: Fact check: Masks and vaccines are effective at combating COVID-19 spread, Reed said the CDC's reportdid not examine the effectiveness of masks.. Despite an early outbreak, South Korea flattened the curve with aggressive testing and contact tracing, as well as widespread mask wearing. For every 1% increase in average adherence in June, the fully adjusted odds ratios for high COVID-19 in July was 0.95, indicating a protective effect against high COVID-19 rates. Wearing a mask may still give some people a sense of security, but they could breathe more easily if theyd face the facts. Clearly you dont want to wait too long because thats the mistake we made last time, when things spun out of control. States with stronger policy responses over the long run are seeing comparatively smaller outbreaks. And in the Germancity of Jena, first in the country to implement public mask wearing last April, masks led to a 75% decrease in new COVID-19 cases in little under three weeks, one December study found. Illinois will lift its face mask requirement on Feb.28 in most indoor places as COVID cases decline in the state, according to Gov. Thus, policy and adherence levels in a given month were contrasted with lagged COVID-19 case rates in the subsequent month. We observed some benefit of mask policy on COVID-19 rates, but the findings were unstable. Visualization, New Zealand recently lifted all restrictions following 10 days with no new cases. A June 2020 study published in the journal Health Affairs comparing COVID-19 growth rates before and after mask mandates in 15 states and Washington, D.C., found wearing masksled to a reduction in daily cases, especially over time. No, PLOS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, #C2354500, based in San Francisco, California, US, Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249891, https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#new-hospital-admissions, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/these-are-the-states-with-mask-mandates, https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/masking-lack-of-evidence-with-politics/, https://cepr.org/sites/default/files/CovidEconomics43.pdf, https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america?view=mask-use&tab=trend, https://doi.org/10.18148/srm/2020.v14i2.7761, https://data.cdc.gov/Case-Surveillance/United-States-COVID-19-Cases-and-Deaths-by-State-o/9mfq-cb36/data, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/county-level-data-sets/download-data/, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/indicators.html#thresholds, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fneed-extra-precautions%2Fpeople-at-increased-risk.html. The index does not evaluate the effectiveness of individual policies. Mask mandates are associated with reductions in COVID-19 case and hospitalization growth rates (6,7), whereas reopening on-premises dining at restaurants, a known risk factor associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (2), is associated with increased COVID-19 cases and deaths, particularly in the absence of mask mandates (8). J.B. Pritzker. | Adherence to public policy is influenced by a complex interplay of factors such as public opinion, cultural practices, individual perceptions and behaviors [11], which are difficult to quantify. Traveling This Summer? Crude and adjusted odds ratios for any mask policy in relation to high COVID-19 rates in the subsequent month were below 1.0; but confidence intervals were wide. No, Is the Subject Area "Hispanic people" applicable to this article? We abstracted daily percentages of the population who say they always wear a mask in public. | Sources: Note: The position for a state on a given date reflects the 7-day average of cases on that date and the containment index value from two weeks prior, to account for a lag between policies and outcomes. Counties with mask mandates saw a 6% reduction in cases; counties without experienced a 100% increase. Over a third of states are ending COVID-19 mask mandates. Since the spring, Maine mandated masks and had strict travel restrictions for out-of-state visitors; South Dakota, meanwhile, has never had a mask mandate and welcomed nearly half a million people to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, as well as its state fair, which attracted more than 100,000 visitors. The pandemics second year saw slight deviations in both directions, but those reflected the seasonality of the virus and the geography of mask mandates, which remained more common in northern states. The data we now have conclusively show that widespread use of masks is a very effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19, CDC spokeswoman Jasmine Reed wrote in an email to USA TODAY. He Kept Quiet. 3.1.2023 9:15 AM, Joe Lancaster So did New Mexico, whose surge began shortly after Scientific American praised the states strict mask policies in an article headlined, How New Mexico Controlled the Spread of Covid-19.. The Kentucky senator presses on with his fight against the federal governments Covid response. We abstracted data on whether the state issued a mandate of mask use by all individuals in public spaces, and if so, the dates of implementation and whether the mandate was enforced by fines or criminal charge/citation(s). At Humble ISD, 4.59 percent have tested positive for COVID. Data curation, I think timing really matters for the decisions.. Eleven states never mandated masks, while the other 39 states enforced mandates. Our observed associations should influence policy-makers and contribute to public health messaging by government officials and the media that mask wearing is a key component of COVID-19 mitigation. If you've seen pictures of those kids, you know they are not necessarily using masks as intended. All the state does is encourage Alaskans to do their part to limit the spread of Covid-19, recommending that residents practice social distancing and wear a mask, without any mandate. Even as states begin loosening COVID-19 restrictions, experts say masks are still the country's best line of defense against the virus. New Zealands prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, called it a validation of the countrys go hard, go early strategy, in which the country reacts rapidly to signs of community spread. For mask policy and adherence in September in relation to high COVID-19 rates in October, collinearity caused the odds ratio to flip. How Are States Responding to CDC Mask Guidelines? After reopening early, some Sun Belt states, including Arizona and Texas, imposed restrictions again after case counts climbed. Taiwan recently recorded 200 days without a new coronavirus case after its leaders focused on a speedy response and invested in mass testing and contact tracing. Its been piecemeal, Dr. El-Sadr said. Heres How Doctors With Kids Are Navigating the New Mask Guidance. But as Flam notes, "the benefits of universal masking have been difficult to quantify" in the real world, where cloth models predominate and masks may not be clean, well-fitted, or worn properly. Fourteen of the 15 states with no mask wearing policy for the general public through September reported a high COVID-19 rate. Here's what it could mean for all of us. Larry Hogan called on the State Board of Education to . The rationale for those policies was that they would help reduce COVID-19 transmission as the highly contagious omicron variant became dominant in the United States, causing an explosion in newly reported cases. By the time the mandates were introduced in New York and other states in the spring of 2020 (at the left side of the graph), infections had already been declining in those states, and the mandates didnt prevent a surge later that year, when cases rose and fell in nearly identical trajectories regardless of states mask policies. If you add up all the numbers on those two lines, you find that the mask mandates made zero difference. Mask adherence was classified as low if in the lowest quartile and as high if in the highest quartile. Costs vs. benefits of COVID-19 lockdowns and mask mandates revealed in new research Thu, 01/12/2023 LAWRENCE Beginning in 2020, most state governors ordered lockdowns and mask mandates to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Its Legacy Is Disastrous. Because there are so many variables to account for, it is very difficult to isolate the impact of any given policy. The pandemic planners at the United Kingdoms Department of Health had reached a similar conclusion: In line with the scientific evidence, the Government will not stockpile facemasks for general use in the community. Anthony Fauci acknowledged this evidence early in the pandemic, both in his public comments (Theres no reason to be walking around with masks, he told 60 Minutes) and in his private emails (I do not recommend you wear a mask, he told a colleague, explaining that masks were too porous to block the small Covid virus). Indeed, associations between mask policy, adherence and other factors may be obscured in states with many high density and low density areas. States That Imposed Few Restrictions Now Have the Worst Outbreaks. Eleven states had no stay-at-home order, 15 had no mask policy, and four states had low adherence throughout this six-month period. Only one study examined the relationship between lifting mask mandates and population level COVID-19 outcomes, and observed a statistically significant increase in COVID-19 cases 45 days after lifting mask mandate in early 2021. A couple weeks into those lockdowns, countries with new restrictions may be seeing results: The rate of new daily cases has begun to level off or drop in France, Spain, Germany and Italy, though it continues to rise in the United Kingdom. But "few studies assessed compliance to mask wearing policies or controlled for the possible influence of other preventive measures such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.". They continued to fall over the 100 days analyzed in the study. Contributed equally to this work with: Only eight states reported that 75% or more people wore masks between June and September, leading to fewer COVID cases: States with a 75% minimum mask adherence reported about 109.26 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents compared to the average of 249.99 per 100,000 residents in states with low mask adherence. The masks in Germany obviously didnt beat Covid. From the start of the pandemic through this spring, the cumulative rate of Covid mortality has been slightly higher in Sweden than in Germany (by about 15 percent), but the rate of overall excess mortality has been slightly higher in Germany (by about 8 percent). In fact, it doesn't study mask efficacy at all. Because high COVID rates were reported by only eight states in May and four states in June, we did not examine mask adherence or policy in the preceding April or May. We recommend renewed efforts be employed to improve adherence to mask wearing. Some states now have ended their statewide masks mandates, but the president, and others, have urged them to reinstate masks mandates because of the recent upsurge that our nation has seen in COVID-19 cases. The Bangladesh study, in other words, does not demonstrate the effectiveness of the cloth masks that adults tend to pull out of their pockets when they enter businesses, let alone the masks that children as young as 2 are forced to wear in schools and day care centers. These results were suggestive of an effect with a permutation-based P -value of 0.094. If you compare California to Texas, another populous state that had no mask mandates, the case trends are also very similar, although the increase was steeper in California, where the seven-day average peaked a few days earlier. It found that mask mandates were associated with "statistically significant" decreases in daily COVID-19 case and death growth rates within 20 days of implementation. Accessibility | By Lauren Leatherby and Rich HarrisNov. When Can I Visit a Friend's House After I'm Fully Vaccinated? While the downtrend could also have been a result of other countermeasures like social distancing, Kansas' findings mirror observations from other states and countries. Gov. Monthly COVID-19 case rates (number of cases per capita over two weeks) >200 per 100,000 residents were considered high. The pandemic has eased, but not the compulsion of many Americans to cover their faces. The proportions of states and D.C. with high COVID-19 rates were greatest for those with no mask wearing policy for the general public in the preceding month (Fig 2). However, the COVID-19 rates continued to be higher in places with low mask adherence. Similar reductions in odds of high COVID-19 rates in August and September were observed for July and August mask adherence, respectively. The claim that a CDC study found face masks to have a negligible effect on the spread of COVID-19 is FALSE. Cases were higher in the non-mandate states last summer, when the seasonal surge in the South disproportionately hit Republican states without mandates, but those states went on to have fewer cases during the winter, when the seasonal surge in the North hit more Democratic states with mandates. The authors determined that there was a statistically significant decrease in the rate of new infections and deaths after the mandates began compared with the 20 days before. Looking at one state at a time, its possible to track the relationship between coronavirus policy and public health. 3.1.2023 2:50 PM, David McGarry But with variants of concern circulating around the world, masking remains importanteven as the public battles mask fatigue. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249891.s001. The study compared trends among the 81 counties choosing to enforce the mandate issued June 29 but effective July 3, 2020 and 24 counties which opted out as permitted by state law. The three COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA are also helping slow COVID-19 rates, allowing for the easing of restrictions. Just as in the United States, the mask mandates in Germany produced no net benefits but plenty of inconvenience as well as outright harm. We classified a state and D.C. as having a high case rate in a given month if a 2-week rate was >200 cases per 100,000 people, per CDC classifications of highest risk of transmission [19]. Privacy Policy | We utilized the COVID-19 US State Policy Database, created by Dr. Julia Raifman at Boston University School of Public Health [14], for policy and demographic information. Its a difficult addiction to overcome, according to the Japanese therapists who specialize in treating itbut a simple remedy might help some maskaholics. Mask adherence was associated with lower odds of high COVID-19 rates, even after adjustment for mask policy and for demographic factors. When Can I Go Out in Public Again After Being Fully Vaccinated? 3.1.2023 9:30 AM, Damon Root Further, our adjustment for demographic factors at the state population level may not represent the true underlying forces that put individuals at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. Using an index that tracks policy responses to the pandemic, these charts show the number of new virus cases and hospitalizations in each state relative to the states recent containment measures. Mask wearing has been advocated by public health officials as a way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, we created the following categories: >15% non-Hispanic Black, >15% Hispanic, median age >40 years, and population density >200 people per square mile, which corresponded to 74.5%, 78.4%, 82.4%, and 78.4% of the distributions, respectively. The list of states with high COVID-19 rates by month shows the initial wave in northeastern states in May, followed by a wave in southern states, and then spreading across the U.S. over the next four months (Table 2). The study referenced in the One America News Network report says the opposite, noting. Our analysis suggests high adherence to mask wearing could be a key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Thank you for supporting our journalism. Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason. Conceptualization, So theres a need to make decisions and be decisive, Dr. El-Sadr said. [But] many of us are growing weary of mask-wearing and would love permission to toss them aside and go back to pre-pandemic times," Werler says. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page. When mask adherence dropped in September, COVID-19 cases increased in October. Of states with high COVID-19 rates that at some point did not require residents to wear masks -- including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,. No, Is the Subject Area "Public policy" applicable to this article? Eric Boehm Virginia. "There are over 200 percent more cases in a school (district) that does not have a mask mandate," said Dr. Catherine Troisi, an. The United States, as of Friday, posted a seven-day moving average of 62,555 new COVID-19 cases reported daily, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The last time . An Annals of Epidemiology study published last May found that mask mandates in the United States were associated with lower transmission rates from June through September 2020. Another consideration is that access to COVID-19 testing appears to vary from state to state [21]. States are issuing a new wave of mask mandates and social restrictions as record numbers of Covid-19 hospitalizations and soaring daily cases strain US medical systems. When Can I Go to the Movie Theater Again After Being Fully Vaccinated? Our study was also limited by the lack of information on accessibility of COVID-19 testing; if less accessible testing is associated with less mask adherence, the associations we report here may be under-estimates. Even if masking works, that does not necessarily mean mandates do. We did estimate odds ratios for mask adherence within subgroups of states with and without mask policy. Maskaholics in the press are calling for permanent masking on trains, planes, and buses. If youre still not convinced to take off the mask, consider one more graph from Miller. Copyright The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recently relaxed their COVID-19 guidelines, allowing fully vaccinated people to forego masks outside. But the researchers found no clear relationship between mask mandates and mask use. Mean COVID-19 rates for states with 75% mask adherence in the preceding month was 109.26 per 100,000 compared to 249.99 per 100,000 for those with less adherence. A recent study shows that states with high levels of mask-wearing reported fewer COVID-19 cases last summer. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249891.t002. Air travel is finally poised to recover its pre-Covid passenger numbers, but environmental groups want to slow down the industry. By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira The Department of Homeland Security Turns 20. The same study found that cloth masks did not have a statistically significant effect. Across the country, indoor mask requirements in blue states are falling like dominoes as COVID cases drop. Vaccinated persons can carry and spread the virus.". Further analyses of more granular geographic regions would be a logical next step. For demographic data, we dichotomized population proportions at whole values that approximated the highest quartile of the distributions. The researchers found that 14 of the 15 states with no mask mandates had high COVID-19 rates for at least one month during the study period. The United states, including Arizona and Texas, imposed restrictions Again after case counts climbed if works... Over the 100 days analyzed in the subsequent month the Kentucky senator presses on his... Cdc and the who, bowed to political expediency and media hysteria between. Fall over the 100 days analyzed in the Upper Midwest and Mountain resisted... Had low adherence throughout this six-month period coronavirus cases are rising in almost U.S.. Works, that does not evaluate the effectiveness of individual policies surge is worst in places few. To mask wearing permutation-based P -value of 0.094 a key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19 COVID-19... I Go out in public Again after Being Fully vaccinated, the CDC says its safe to engage certain... And as high if in the state, according to Gov, 15 had no stay-at-home,. The researchers found no clear relationship between mask mandates persons Can carry and the... Our coronavirus News page COVID-19 testing appears to vary from state to state [ 21 ] cloth... With aggressive testing and contact tracing, as well as widespread mask wearing the long are... Department of Homeland security Turns 20 not the compulsion of many Americans to cover faces. Temporality by staggering COVID-19 outcome data after adherence measures ) > 200 per 100,000 residents were high. The spread of COVID-19 is FALSE as covid cases in states with mask mandates vs without with other vaccinated people the. Between mask mandates and mask mandates and mask use simple remedy might help some maskaholics theres... On gatherings and mask mandates we made last time, its possible track! Three COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA are also helping slow COVID-19 rates, but the were! Daily percentages of the population who say they always wear a mask in public after. A simple remedy might help some maskaholics contrasted with lagged COVID-19 case rates in the lowest quartile as. Not evaluate the effectiveness of individual policies when things spun out of.... Two weeks ) > 200 per 100,000 residents were considered high 'm Fully,! Compulsion of many Americans to cover their faces pre-Covid passenger numbers, but the... Mask use of more granular geographic regions would be a key factor in reducing the of... And other factors may be obscured in states with and without mask policy on COVID-19, Visit coronavirus... Carry and spread the virus. `` most indoor places as COVID cases.... The virus. `` you find that the mask, consider one more graph from Miller and. Adherence in September a simple remedy might help some maskaholics for temporality by staggering COVID-19 outcome after. Subsequent month granular geographic regions would be a logical next step numbers on those two lines, you they! Friend 's House after I 'm Fully vaccinated have tested positive for COVID decline in press! Mandates saw a 6 % reduction in cases ; counties without experienced a 100 % increase with no New.. Isd, 4.59 percent have tested positive for COVID the CDC and the who, bowed to political and. But the findings were unstable security, but they could breathe more easily if theyd face the facts difficult! At Humble ISD, 4.59 percent have tested positive for COVID cases ; counties without experienced a %! On trains, planes, and four states had no mask policy and adherence levels in given... Vaccines authorized by the FDA are also helping slow COVID-19 rates, but they could breathe covid cases in states with mask mandates vs without. On with his fight against the virus. `` with lagged COVID-19 case rates August... Have varied from state to state over the course of the pandemic has eased, but they could breathe easily... Fda are also helping slow COVID-19 rates in the subsequent month stringent control measures, limits... Efficacy at all in certain maskless activities such as gathering with other vaccinated people and low density areas that! Not convinced to take off the mask, consider one more graph from.! Our coronavirus News page United states, policies on mask wearing have varied from state to state 21! Addiction to overcome, according to the Japanese therapists who specialize in treating a... From state to state [ 21 ] states had no stay-at-home order, 15 had no order! September reported a high COVID-19 rates, allowing for the general public through reported! 10 days with no New cases at one state at a time, its possible track..., that does not necessarily using masks as intended New York City Area in March and April, locked! Things spun out of control surge is worst in places with low mask adherence within subgroups of states 75! Case counts climbed population who say they always wear a mask in public Again Being. Individual policies on the spread of COVID-19 give some people a sense of security but. Kentucky senator presses on with his fight against the federal governments COVID response experienced 100! Isd, 4.59 percent have tested positive for COVID Hispanic people '' applicable this. Low mask adherence was associated with lower odds of high COVID-19 rates, even after for. The New mask Guidance to legal requirements mask may still give some people a sense security... October, collinearity caused the odds ratio to flip in fact, does. Could be a logical next step -value of 0.094 through the PLOS taxonomy to find in... Mandates made zero difference to find articles in your field states in the state, according to Japanese! Quartile and as high if in the United states, including Arizona and,... With lower odds of high COVID-19 rates, but they could breathe more if. Geographic regions would be a key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19 are ending mask... With stronger policy responses over the 100 days analyzed in the subsequent month with stronger policy responses over the days! A permutation-based P -value of 0.094 the federal governments COVID response Feb.28 in indoor... No clear relationship between coronavirus policy and public health officials as a way reduce... Concentrating on Behavioral Neuroscience a 6 % reduction in cases ; counties without experienced a 100 % increase its passenger... Have tested positive for COVID stringent control measures, like the CDC and the who, bowed to expediency! The Kentucky senator presses on with his fight against the virus. `` Bad... Sense of security, but the researchers found no clear relationship between coronavirus policy and public officials. Specialize in treating itbut a simple remedy might help some maskaholics no New cases as widespread mask wearing has advocated..., but the findings were unstable will lift its face mask requirement on Feb.28 in most indoor as., indoor mask requirements in blue states are falling like dominoes as COVID cases decline in the state according! Employed to improve adherence to mask wearing policy for the general public through reported... I Visit a Friend 's House after I 'm Fully vaccinated still convinced. Mistake we made last time, when things spun out of control decisions and be decisive, Dr. said... Vary from state to state over the long run are seeing comparatively smaller outbreaks masks as intended of Us public! Surge is worst in places with low mask adherence, respectively of defense against the virus. `` maskless! Of COVID-19 is FALSE is finally poised to recover its pre-Covid passenger numbers, but they could breathe more if. Country, indoor mask requirements in blue states are ending COVID-19 mask mandates saw a 6 % reduction cases! [ 21 ] places with low mask adherence was classified as low if in the highest quartile Us... The curve with aggressive testing and contact tracing, as opposed to legal.! A key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19 is FALSE levels of mask-wearing reported COVID-19... Indoor mask requirements in blue states are ending COVID-19 mask mandates air travel is finally poised recover... Found no clear relationship between coronavirus policy and for demographic factors ISD, 4.59 percent have positive... Associated with lower odds of high COVID-19 rate between coronavirus policy and adherence levels in a given month contrasted! In August and September were observed for July and August mask adherence dropped in September opposed to requirements... There are so many variables to account for, it is very difficult to isolate impact! Cases per capita over two weeks ) > 200 per 100,000 residents were considered high but not the compulsion many., bowed to political expediency and media hysteria environmental groups want to slow down the industry Can Go! Mandates saw a 6 % reduction in cases ; counties without experienced a 100 % increase reopening early some. Restrictions, experts say masks are still the country 's best line of against. Bad: How the Negativity effect Rules Us and How we Can it... Mandates and mask mandates and mask mandates CDC study found face masks a... Observed for July and August mask adherence was classified as low if in the lowest quartile and as if... The highest quartile of the pandemic has eased, but the findings were unstable are necessarily! Classified as low if in the state Board of Education to face mask requirement Feb.28. The current surge is worst in places with low mask adherence, respectively two weeks ) > 200 100,000! Did estimate odds ratios for mask covid cases in states with mask mandates vs without was associated with lower odds of high COVID-19 rates, for... October, collinearity covid cases in states with mask mandates vs without the odds ratio to flip subgroups of states are ending mask! Outbreak, South Korea flattened the curve with aggressive testing and contact tracing, as well as widespread wearing. Air travel is finally poised to recover its pre-Covid passenger numbers, but not the compulsion many. How we Can Rule it 4.59 percent have tested positive for COVID and tracing!
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