masks, improved ventilation reported fewer COVID-19 cases: CDC study

Schools that required masks, improved ventilation reported fewer COVID-19 cases: CDC study Schools in Georgia that required teachers and staff to wear masks and improved ventilation reported fewer COVID-19 cases, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Justine Coleman TheHill

Schools in Georgia that required teachers and staff to wear masks and improved ventilation reported fewer COVID-19 cases, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released on Friday.

The research, conducted by the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health, determined that COVID-19 incidence was 37 percent lower in schools that mandated masks for teachers and staff. Schools that implemented at least one ventilation strategy saw a 39 percent reduction in coronavirus cases among students and staff.

The ventilation improvements ranged from dilution methods, which refer to running fans and keeping doors and windows open, to filtration with or without purification. Schools that used dilution methods saw 35 percent less COVID-19 incidence, and others that used dilution and filtration methods together saw 48 percent fewer cases. 

The schools that mandated mask wearing for students reported a 21 percent lower COVID-19 incidence rate — a figure not considered statistically significant — which researchers speculated could have been because of “differences in mask-wearing behavior among students in schools with optional requirements.”

The study involved 169 elementary schools across 51 counties that opened for in-person instruction in fall 2020 and spanned 26 days in November and December. Researchers calculated that there were 3.08 cases among students and staff per 500 enrolled students in that period. 

The CDC noted there were no previous U.S. studies analyzing COVID-19 cases in schools with different precautions, including mask requirements and ventilation efforts. 

The agency said it recommends schools institute “multiple prevention strategies,” including masking, better ventilation, social distancing and contact tracing. ...