Masking in schools can lead to significantly fewer COVID-19 cases among students and staff, according to a new U.S. study that looked at more than 70 school districts to compare those that had mask mandates with those that didn’t.
Numerous studies have shown that wearing a mask in public indoor spaces can provide greater protection against COVID-19 and other airborne viruses, but not many studies have been able to directly compare the results of schools having mask mandates to those that removed them.
Only two school districts — Boston and Chelsea — decided to keep their masking requirements in place through June 2022, providing a perfect opportunity for researchers to compare the incidence rate between schools that mandated masks and those that didn’t., tracked 72 school districts in the greater Boston area for 15 weeks after the statewide mask mandate was lifted.
Schools that lifted their mask mandate in the first week had the highest COVID-19 incidence level among staff of all districts, while schools that lifted their masking mandate in the second week had the highest incidence level among students by themselves, as well as students and staff combined. At the same time, the other districts were experiencing 15-25 weekly cases per 100 students, around 50-150 per cent higher.
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