And the more swiftly they can act, the shorter any lockdown-style policies need to be. We categorized the existence of a mask policy as None if there was no requirement for face coverings in public spaces, Recommended if required in all public spaces without consequences, and Strict if required in all public spaces with consequences in the form of fine(s) or citation(s). COVID-19 death rates dropped by 0.7 percentage points in the first 20 days after masks were required. We thank Dr. Julia Raifman Boston University School of Public Health for developing, maintaining, and providing open access to the COVID-19 US State Policy Database. Once you start thinking about acting, it probably is the time to act.. If you add up all the numbers on those two lines, you find that the mask mandates made zero difference. Its been piecemeal, Dr. El-Sadr said. But the researchers found no clear relationship between mask mandates and mask use. Based on CDC at-risk guidelines for COVID-19 [20], we considered non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, age, and population density as potential confounders. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for high case rates in the subsequent month associated with average mask adherence (as a continuous variable). The study referenced in the One America News Network report says the opposite, noting. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The current study . The claim: CDC study found that face masks have a negligible effect on the spread of COVID-19. 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. Louisiana. Meanwhile, the eight states that reported 75% or more mask adherence between June 2020 and September 2020 did not have high COVID-19 rates. 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. The graph tracks the results of a natural experiment that occurred nationwide during the pandemic. Because there are so many variables to account for, it is very difficult to isolate the impact of any given policy. 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. Many states in the Upper Midwest and Mountain West resisted more stringent control measures, like limits on gatherings and mask mandates. While the downtrend could also have been a result of other countermeasures like social distancing, Kansas' findings mirror observations from other states and countries. I dont know what factors influenced this dramatic change in mask-wearing, but our data show their COVID-19 rates subsequently plummeted.. Most states imposed tight restrictions in the spring even if they did not have bad outbreaks then. Massachusetts. Further analyses of more granular geographic regions would be a logical next step. It is worth noting that no states achieved this level of mask adherence in September, which might account in part for the spike in COVID-19 rates in October. PLOS ONE promises fair, rigorous peer review, "Not wearing a mask in large groups with unvaccinated people still poses a risk of COVID for unvaccinated groups. But the study did not take into account other policies or voluntary safeguards that may have differed between jurisdictions with and without mask mandates. Wearing masks is a CDC-recommended* approach to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), by reducing the spread of respiratory droplets into the air when a person coughs, sneezes, or talks and by reducing the inhalation of these droplets by the wearer. The three COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA are also helping slow COVID-19 rates, allowing for the easing of restrictions. Our analysis suggests high adherence to mask wearing could be a key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19. But in each state, as Miller shows, infection rates remained lower in the counties that did not mandate masks. Of the 8 states with at least 75% mask adherence, none reported a high COVID-19 rate. When Can I Go Out in Public Again After Being Fully Vaccinated? Mast mandates may be back on the table for states where the number of COVID cases are once again causing serious alarm for health officials. When Can I Visit a Friend's House After I'm Fully Vaccinated? The Department of Homeland Security Turns 20. Randomized clinical trials involving flu viruses had shown, contrary to popular wisdom in Japan and other Asian countries, that there was no evidence that face masks are effective in reducing transmission, as the WHO summarized the scientific literature. In addition, Hawaii and Oregon, which have both implemented school mask. Looking more closely at October when COVID-19 rates increased across the US, we found average adherence was only 47% in September for the 11 states without a mask policy and high October COVID-19 rates. Many experts acknowledge that the rise and fall of waves is a bit of a mystery.". Nedghie Adrien, Roles Across the country, indoor mask requirements in blue states are falling like dominoes as COVID cases drop. When Can I Travel Again After Being Fully Vaccinated? 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. Contributed equally to this work with: Its been largely delegated to a subnational level, to the states, for example, and municipalities to figure it out themselves.. Our analysis suggests high adherence to mask wearing could be a key factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Traveling This Summer? Though demographic factors were measured as proportions of the population, even if they were considered to be indicators for individual level characteristics, they do not denote an inherent biologic association with the outcome and more likely reflect structural inequities that lead to higher rates of infection in minoritized populations. Copyright: 2021 Fischer et al. Even if masking works, that does not necessarily mean mandates do. Thats what this study was pursuing to try to answer,"said Michael Bisesi, vice dean and interim chair of environmental health sciences in Ohio State University's College of Public Health. As you can see from the lines similar trajectories, the mask mandates hardly controlled the virus. Note: Cases and hospitalizations are data from Nov. 16. Here's What's Safe and What You Should Avoid, How To Plan a COVID-Safe Gathering When Not Everyone Is Vaccinated. For mask policy and adherence in September in relation to high COVID-19 rates in October, collinearity caused the odds ratio to flip. We thank Drs. In the United States, policies on mask wearing have varied from state to state over the course of the pandemic [6]. Of note, there were no states with 75% in September. When Can I Dine Indoors Again After Being Fully Vaccinated? They continued to fall over the 100 days analyzed in the study. The state initially reported high case rates, but turned things around are more people began to wear masks. Sources: Restrictions tightened as cases were rising. PLoS ONE 16(4): 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). While it controlled for other policies that have been used to try to mitigate new infections from the coronavirus including bar closures, stay-at-home orders and bans on gatherings of 10 or more people it did not account for some others, such as physical distancing recommendations and other types of business closures. If youre still not convinced to take off the mask, consider one more graph from Miller. Fourteen of the 15 states with no mask wearing policy for the general public through September reported a high COVID-19 rate. In the United States, policies on mask wearing have varied from state to state over the course of the pandemic. Subscribe to Reason Roundup, a wrap up of the last 24 hours of news, delivered fresh each morning. 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. "Large indoor gatherings without masking among a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons is a recipe for trouble.". For each month, the distributions of mask adherence across all 50 states and D.C. were categorized into quartiles, meaning the cut-off values for each quartile may be different from one month to another. Mandating masks gave the illusion of doing something against the virus. J.B. Pritzker. Eleven states never mandated masks, while the other 39 states enforced mandates. But the "reference period" is defined by the report as the 20 days before mask mandates started. It compares Germany with Sweden, the medias Covid villain for refusing to lock down or mandate masks. Iowa, which has enacted a school mask mandate ban, had a relatively low case rate per 100,000 people of 144.7. Miller, who has tracked pandemic trends for the Brownstone Institute, has assembled the damning evidence in Unmasked: The Global Failure of COVID Mask Mandates. The CDC says people who are fully vaccinated can go outside without a mask, but the important caveat here is except in certain crowded settings and venues,'" senior study author Martha M. Werler, DSc, professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, tells Verywell. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); NEXT: The FBI Seized Almost $1 Million From This Familyand Never Charged Them With a Crime. Verywell Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Latest news. Because after all, maskswhen worn correctlyare effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Writing review & editing, Affiliation Copyright We calculated the number of new cases in each month, for each state and D.C. Rates were the number of new cases divided by the population in 2019. 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