Two studies from the United States have shown that mandating masks for teachers and students in schools significantly reduces infections with SARS-CoV-2. The issue of mask mandates in schools is politically controversial in the US, resulting in varying regional policies. This has allowed epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the effectiveness of this protective measure. According to two recently published studies, the CDC’s recommendation that students and teachers wear masks indoors has indeed reduced the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in schools.
The first study, led by Megan Jehn from Arizona State University, examined the development of infections in public schools in Arizona after they reopened at the end of July. Of the schools studied, 21% had a mask mandate immediately after reopening, 31% introduced it 15 days after the start of school, and the remaining 48% did not have a mask mandate. According to the publication in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, schools without mask mandates had 113 infections with the new coronavirus (59.2%) between July 15 and August 31, 2021. Schools that introduced a mask mandate 15 days after the start of school had only 62 infections (32.5%), and schools that had a mask mandate from the beginning had 16 infections (8.4%).
A second study, led by Budzyn from the CDC, examined the development of infections in children after the start of school nationwide. According to the study published in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, regions with mask mandates had an increase in incidence of 16.32 cases per 100,000/day in the second week after the start of school. In counties without school mask mandates, the incidence increased by 34.85 cases per 100,000/day. These studies provide evidence that mandating masks in schools can lead to fewer infections with SARS-CoV-2, which is crucial in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
