Without this, masks could lead to more COVID-19 spread

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In a new study, researchers found that the behavior public officials are now mandating or recommending unequivocally to slow the spread of surging COVID-19—wearing a face covering—should come with a caveat.

If not accompanied by proper public education, the practice could lead to more infections.

The research was conducted by a team at the University of Vermont and elsewhere.

The study combines survey data gathered from adults living in northwestern Vermont with test results that showed whether a subset of them had contracted COVID-19.

By correlating the two data sets, researchers were able to determine what behaviors and circumstances increased respondents’ risk of becoming sick.

The key risk factor driving transmission of the disease, the team found, was the number of daily contacts participants had with other adults and seniors.

Those who wore masks had more of these daily contacts compared with those who didn’t, and a higher proportion contracted the virus as a result.

This is because when people wear a mask, they may have a deceptive sense of being protected and have more interactions with other people.

The team says the public health implications are clear. Messaging that people need to wear a mask is essential, but insufficient.

It should go hand in hand with the education that masks don’t give people a free pass to see as many people as they want. They still need to strictly limit their contacts.

The study also found that participants’ living environment determined how many contacts they had and affected their probability of becoming infected.

A higher proportion of those living in apartments was infected with the virus compared with those who lived in single-family homes.

One author of the study is Eline van den Broek-Altenburg, an assistant professor.

The study is published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance.

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