COVID-19 and Face Mask Use: A St. Kitts Case Study

BACKGROUND: Mask wearing in the COVID-19 pandemic was previously hypothesized as a protective symbol that decreases compliance with other measures such as face touching and social distancing. However, the face mask is now central to the prevention of viral spread. AIM: In this paper, we looked at the shift of guidelines regarding mask use and the mask-wearing adherence habits of the Kittitian population at the onset of the pandemic. METHODS: In this study, we observed 468 individuals, each for 5 min, for the different types of face masks used and their adherence to the Center for Disease Control guidelines for the use of this personal protective equipment. We did the observation at three different locations at Basseterre, St. Kitts, from the 21st to April 30, 2020. RESULTS: We noted that 49.31% had medical-grade masks (N95 and surgical), 36.11% had improvised masks, and 14.74% had no facial covering. About 34% of persons with masks were not correctly covering their nose or mouth and 16.45% were touching their face with their hands. Wearing any face-covering appears to lead to more face touching than no covering at 18.25% versus 5.8%. The highest proportion of errors was seen in wearers of surgical masks, leaving the mouth/ nose uncovered at 12.08% of all errors. CONCLUSION: We recommend for public education and political efforts to increase adherence to mask use in conjunction with other protective measures such as social distancing and hand washing for curbing the COVID-19 transmission in St. Kitts and Nevis.