Schools without mask mandate 3.5 times more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks: CDC study

A 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.

In the study, the researchers defined an outbreak as when a school had two or more confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff within a two-week period and at least seven days after the school year began. The schools that had outbreaks within seven days were excluded from the study.

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