Masks, social distancing, testing could be 96% effective at reducing college coronavirus transmissions, study says Updated Feb 02, 2021; Posted Feb 02, 2021 Masks sit on a table at Hush Intimate Apparel on Wednesday July, 8, 2020 in Brighton. Nicole Hester/Mlive.comNicole Hester/Mlive.com Facebook Share CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Combining extensive social distancing with mask wearing and routine testing could be 96% effective when combating coronavirus spread on college campuses, according to a new study. Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital ran computer simulations for transmission over the course of a semester under various coronavirus prevention measures and measured effectiveness and how much each would cost.