Studies illustrate the effectiveness of mask-wearing in slowing the pandemic, especially in rural counties

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention graphic; click the image to enlarge it.

A pair of studies illustrates the effectiveness of mask-wearing in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

The first, released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed real-world evidence that masks work, and that what kind of mask you wear matters.

"In addition to being up to date with recommended Covid-19 vaccinations, consistently wearing a comfortable, well-fitting face mask or respirator in indoor public settings protects against acquisition of [Covid-19] infection; a respirator offers the most protection," says the early release report.

The study assessed face-mask or respirator use among 652 people who tested positive for the virus and 1,176 who tested negative from Feb. 18 to Dec. 1, 2021 and self-reported being in indoor public settings during the two weeks preceding their test, with no known contact with any confirmed or suspected Covid-19 infection. The samples were randomly selected residents of California.

A second study showed that rural counties with mask mandates saw fewer coronavirus cases than rural counties without such mandates in late 2020. "The study from researchers in Kansas and Missouri and published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine looked at Covid-19 cases across 38 rural counties in Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee and Florida, half of which implemented mask mandates. It found in the month after counties enacted mask requirements, cases were 16.9 percent lower than in counties without mandates," Jessica Piper reports for Bangor Daily News.