* The Hill…
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found that schools in two Arizona counties that didn’t require universal masking were 3.5 times more likely to endure COVID-19 outbreaks than schools with mask mandates.
Out of the 191 schools in Maricopa and Pima counties that experienced outbreaks by the end of August, 59.2 percent did not have a mask requirement, compared to 8.4 percent that required masks from the start of the school year.
Almost a third of outbreaks occurred in schools that implemented mask mandates after the school year began.
The results support the argument to require masks in schools to reduce transmission, at a time when the controversial debate has turned political and bled into ongoing court battles. […]
The CDC also released an additional study on masking in schools, finding that counties with school mask mandates experienced lower increases in pediatric COVID-19 case rates than counties without school mask requirements.
The CDC report is here.
- M Python - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:14 pm:
Those are not unexpected results. Mask up and get vaxxed
- Montrose - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:20 pm:
wear your face diapers, people /s
- Steve Polite - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:30 pm:
“wear your face diapers, people /s”
Lol, some people do have s**t coming out of their mouths. /s
- EssentialWorkingMom - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:31 pm:
My 10 year old niece who attends school in Pima County AZ tested positive for Covid two weeks ago after her best friend and classmate tested positive. She attended the same school in person last school year and they all wore masks last year just fine, it boggles my mind that they aren’t having their students wear masks this year. I can’t understand why parents don’t want to protect their kids with something as simple as wearing a mask indoors.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:32 pm:
Anti-vaxxers, while vulnerable to Covid, seem to be immune to statistics.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:35 pm:
When doctors stop wearing masks during operations…
The obvious is purposely ignored. Welp, ignore at your own peril…
… but please, wear a mask… for others, if not yourself.
- very old soil - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:52 pm:
I think we need a TEXAS Act style bounty system for businesses that do not follow the mandate on mask wearing indoors. Today I went in to the local Jimmy John’s, None of the employees were wearing masks. I said something about the governor’s mandate and was told that it was corporate policy to not wear masks. I walked out. Maybe a $10,000 fine would convince corporate.
I would pay to file a complaint if anyone did anything about it, I have previously complained to the county health department. They just shrugged and said there was nothing they could do because of county politics.
- Almost retired - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 2:59 pm:
I don’t think Jimmy Johns has a corporate policy against wearing masks. 2 to 4 times a week I get a sandwich from two different shops. They r in Decatur. All their staff wear masks and the masks cover nose. It is the reason I switched from the local subways to local Jimmy Johns.
- Wensicia - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 3:04 pm:
I refuse to patronize any business that allows or forces employeees to discard masks.
- IllinoisBoi - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 3:12 pm:
I refuse to patronize any business that allows or forces employees to wash their hands or wear hairnets. /s
- M - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 3:17 pm:
The whole anti-mask is 90% political. Fox news tells people they don’t have to wear a mask and don’t get vaccinated.
- Bruce( no not him) - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 3:23 pm:
How many times and ways does this need to be said?
The folks who won’t wear a mask, won’t listen to the CDC or anyone else.
- Peanut - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 3:44 pm:
I live in Springfield & I would love if there were lists of places that do and do not enforce mask mandates. I would not go into anyplace I knew would not enforce masking. I wont give my money to those that wont protect its workers and patrons.
- Mary - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
I don’t understand this data unless the Hill is reporting it wrong (which would not be surprising).
From The Hill: “Out of the 191 schools in Maricopa and Pima counties that experienced outbreaks by the end of August, 59.2 percent did not have a mask requirement, compared to 8.4 percent that required masks from the start of the school year. Almost a third of outbreaks occurred in schools that implemented mask mandates after the school year began.”
If 59% of schools with outbreaks are no masks, 8.4% required masks at the start, and presumably 32.6% are optional, and 1/3 of outbreaks occurred in schools that imposed mandates after the school year, that doesn’t tell you much.
You need to know what percent of schools did/didn’t mask at the start and afterwards.
IOW if 90% of schools required masks and 10% didn’t, then yes, this data shows masks had an effect. If 60% of schools were mask-free, 30% optional, and 10% required, then this means outbreak ratios correlated to the general population proportions of masks on/off. Even better would be to look at the percentage of students who were subject to mask requirements vs. not.
- Pundent - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 4:11 pm:
Here’s something else worth considering. Between June and August there were 287K preventable hospitalizations for unvaccinated individuals. The average cost of these hospitalizations is $20K which translates to $5.7B in preventable hospitalization costs.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/unvaccinated-covid-patients-cost-the-u-s-health-system-billions-of-dollars/
- Amalia - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 4:17 pm:
I truly hope I do not know anyone IRL who is posting anti mask or anti vax nonsense on this site. and for anyone who is doing that, if you have had any vaccinations in your life, you are a hypocrite. and just plain dumb.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 24, 21 @ 4:19 pm:
===You need to know what percent of schools did/didn’t mask at the start and afterwards===
Yes, and the answer to your question is in the two links provided above. I cannot spoon feed everything to you here. If you want more info, click the links. Don’t be lazy.