Search

BACKGROUND: Universal masking, with additional layered prevention strategies, was an essential tool for limiting the transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 and ensuring a safe return to in‐person learning for kindergarten through 12th grade (K‐12) students and staff. Few studies have examined mask adherence in this setting and none have described types of masks worn or locations of mask adherence. This project sought to assess mask adherence, types worn, and location of mask adherence in K‐12 settings. METHODS: This study used direct in‐person observations to measure the proportion of persons wearing masks correctly; type of masks worn; and location of mask adherence in 19 K‐12 schools in Georgia. RESULTS: A total of 16,222 observations were conducted. Among those observed, 85.2% wore masks, with 80.3% wearing the mask correctly. Persons in high school were less likely to wear masks correctly. Correct mask use was most often observed among persons wearing N95‐type masks. The prevalence of persons wearing masks correctly in transitional spaces was 5% higher than in congregate spaces. CONCLUSION: In K‐12 schools with a universal masking policy, correct mask adherence was high among individuals. Examining adherence to recommended prevention measures can provide K‐12 schools feedback to inform targeted messaging and policies during future disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about adherence to COVID-19 masking mandates on college campuses or the relationship between weather-related variables and masking. This study aimed to (1) observe students' adherence to on-campus mask mandates and (2) estimate the effect of weather on mask-wearing. Temple University partnered in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's observational Mask Adherence Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project. February–April 2021, weekly observations were completed at 12 on-campus locations to capture whether individuals wore masks, wore them correctly, and the type of mask worn. Fashion and university masks also were recorded. Weekly average temperature, humidity, and precipitation were calculated. Descriptive statistics were calculated for masking adherence overall, over time, and by location. Statistical significance was assessed between correct mask use and mask type and the linear relationships between weekly weather metrics and mask use. Overall, 3508 individuals were observed with 89.6% wearing masks. Of those, 89.4% correctly wore masks. Cloth (58.7%) and surgical masks (35.3%) were most commonly observed and 21.3% wore fashion masks. N95/KN95 masks were correctly worn in 98.3% of observations and surgical and cloth masks were correctly worn ~ 90% of the time. Weekly adherence varied over time and by campus location. Significant inverse linear relationships existed between weekly temperature (r = – 0.72; p < 0.05) and humidity (r = – 0.63; p ≤ 0.05) and masking. Mask adherence and correct use was high. Temperature and humidity inversely affected adherence. Adherence varied by on-campus location, which suggests the locations (e.g., academic buildings, recreational center) and possibly the characteristics of individuals who frequent certain areas impacted adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities have focused on creating policies, such as mask mandates, to minimize COVID-19 transmission both on their campuses and in the surrounding community. Adherence to and opinions about these policies remain largely unknown. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a cross-sectional study, the Mask Adherence and Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project (MASCUP!), to objectively and inconspicuously measure rates of mask use at institutes of higher education via direct observation. From February 15 through April 11, 2021 the University of Colorado Boulder (CU, n = 2,808 observations) and Colorado State University Fort Collins (CSU, n = 3,225 observations) participated in MASCUP! along with 52 other institutes of higher education (n = 100,353 observations) spanning 21 states and the District of Columbia. Mask use was mandatory at both Colorado universities and student surveys were administered to assess student beliefs and attitudes. Results: We found that 91.7%, 93.4%, and 90.8% of persons observed at indoor locations on campus wore a mask correctly at University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and across the 52 other schools, respectively. Student responses to questions about masking were in line with these observed rates of mask use where 92.9% of respondents at CU and 89.8% at CSU believe that wearing masks can protect the health of others. Both Colorado universities saw their largest surges in COVID-19 cases in the fall of 2020, with markedly lower case counts during the mask observation window in the spring of 2021. Conclusion: High levels of mask use at Colorado's two largest campuses aligned with rates observed at other institutes across the country. These high rates of use, coupled with positive student attitudes about mask use, demonstrate that masks were widely accepted and may have contributed to reduced COVID-19 case counts. This study supports an emerging body of literature substantiating masks as an effective, low-cost measure to reduce disease transmission and establishes masking (with proper education and promotion) as a viable tactic to reduce respiratory disease transmission on college campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adherence to guidelines for face coverings and physical distancing are critical strategies to stem the COVID-19 pandemic but are not uniformly followed. Understanding factors associated with adherence to mask-wearing and physical distancing may help guide future control efforts. We conducted an observational study using Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD) in August 2020 in parks, playgrounds and commercial streets in each of 10 City Council Districts in Philadelphia, PA. Wearing a mask correctly varied by setting with highest adherence in commercial areas and lowest in playgrounds. Almost 17% wore visible masks that did not cover the nose and/or mouth. There were multiple disparities in correct mask use. Females had higher rates than males (unadjusted relative risk = 1.40, p

Background: Prior to the development of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, masking and social distancing emerged as important strategies for infection control. Locations across the United States required or recommended face coverings where distancing was not possible, but it is unclear to what extent people complied with these policies., Objective: This study provides descriptive information about adherence to public health policies pertaining to mask wearing and social distancing and examines differences in adherence to these policies among different population groups in the District of Columbia and 8 US states., Methods: This study was part of a national systematic observational study using a validated research protocol for recording adherence to correct mask wearing and maintaining social distance (6 feet/1.83 meters) from other individuals. Data were collected from December 2020 to August 2021 by research team members who stationed themselves in outdoor areas with high pedestrian traffic, observed individuals crossing their paths, and collected data on whether individuals' masks were present (visible or not visible) or worn (correctly, incorrectly, not at all) and whether social distance was maintained if other individuals were present. Observational data were entered electronically into Google Forms and were exported in Excel format for analysis. All data analyses were conducted using SPSS. Information on local COVID-19 protection policies (eg, mask wearing requirements) was obtained by examining city and state health department websites for the locations where data were being collected., Results: At the time these data were collected, most locations in our study required (5937/10,308, 57.6%) or recommended (4207/10,308, 40.8%) masking. Despite this, more than 30% of our sample were unmasked (2889/10136, 28.5%) or masked incorrectly (636/10136, 6.3%). Masking policy was significantly related to correct masking with locations that required or recommended masking (66% correct masking vs 28/164, 17.1% in locations that did not require masking, P<.001). Participants who maintained social distance from others were more likely to be correctly masked than those who were not (P<.001). Adherence to masking policy by location was significant (P<.001); however, this was driven by 100% compliance in Georgia, which did not require masks at any point during the data collection period. When the same analysis was conducted for compliance with mask requirements and recommendations, there was no significant difference by location. Overall adherence to masking policies was 66.9., Conclusions: Despite a clear relationship between mask policies and masking behavior, one-third of our sample was nonadherent to those policies, and approximately 23% of our sample did not have any mask, either on or visible. This may speak to the confusion surrounding "risk" and protective behaviors, as well as pandemic fatigue. These results underscore the importance of clear public health communication, particularly given variations in public health policies across states and localities., (©Monica S Ruiz, Mercedes V McMahon, Hannah Latif, Amita Vyas. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 25.04.2023.)

Adherence to guidelines for face coverings and physical distancing are critical strategies to stem the COVID-19 pandemic but are not uniformly followed. Understanding factors associated with adherence to mask-wearing and physical distancing may help guide future control efforts. We conducted an observational study using Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD) in August 2020 in parks, playgrounds and commercial streets in each of 10 City Council Districts in Philadelphia, PA. Wearing a mask correctly varied by setting with highest adherence in commercial areas and lowest in playgrounds. Almost 17% wore visible masks that did not cover the nose and/or mouth. There were multiple disparities in correct mask use. Females had higher rates than males (unadjusted relative risk = 1.40, p < .0001) and seniors higher than any other age group (unadjusted chi-square p < .0001). Asians wore masks correctly the most often [adjusted log odds ratio (LOR) = 0.53 compared with non-Hispanic white, p = 0.02]. Correct mask-wearing was higher in areas with a higher population density (adjusted LOR = 0.03 per one thousand/square mile, p = 0.02) and lower in higher poverty areas (adjusted LOR = -0.01, p = .03). Disparities in adherence to mask wearing and physical distancing likely reflect differences in perception of risk by gender, age group, and race/ethnicity. While the risk of COVID-19 transmission is lower in outdoor settings, it is unlikely to be zero. The lower rates of mask use by males and minority groups suggest increased efforts are needed to enhance adherence to recommended guidelines., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)