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A unique new study suggests 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 finding is part of a unique study, just published in
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, that was conducted by a team of health economists and public health faculty at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine in partnership with public health officials for the state of Vermont.
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, a dual research approach that few COVID studies have employed. By correlating the two data sets, researchers were able to determine what behaviors and circumstances increased respondents’ risk of becoming sick.