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Tuesday, September 26, 2023 | 
U.S. & World

Mask mandates slow the spread of coronavirus, new Kansas study reveals

A new study based in Kansas reveals that mask mandates helped stop the spread of COVID-19.

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE Mask mandates slow the spread of coronavirus, new Kansas study reveals
In this Nov. 3, 2020, file photo, a man hands his completed ballot to an election worker at a drive-thru polling location in Kansas City, Mo. Poll workers in some states who came in contact with voters on Election Day are now reporting they have tested positive for the coronavirus despite painstaking efforts to secure election sites. To be sure, the cases cannot be tied definitely to polling places.

In this Nov. 3, 2020, file photo, a man hands his completed ballot to an election worker at a drive-thru polling location in Kansas City, Mo. Poll workers in some states who came in contact with voters on Election Day are now reporting they have tested positive for the coronavirus despite painstaking efforts to secure election sites. To be sure, the cases cannot be tied definitely to polling places.

Charlie Riedel, Associated Press

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new evidence from a study in Kansas that revealed mask mandates can help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

What happened:

Researchers reviewed COVID-19 data in Kansas after the state added a mask mandate.

The researchers found that the counties that added a mask mandate saw a decrease in COVID-19 cases.

  • Counties with mask mandates saw a 6% reduction in cases based off 7-day rolling averages.

The counties that didn’t add a mask mandate saw cases rise.

  • These counties saw a 100% increase in cases, according to the study.
Related

Yes, but:

  • The researchers admitted the study was not a randomized, controlled study — so other factors could have led to the slow of the spread, like physical distancing or fewer gatherings.

Key quote:

  • “This adds to the growing body of evidence that says large, widespread masking helps to slow the spread of COVID,” said Dr. Aaron Carroll, a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine, according to NPR.
Related

Flashback:

Back in October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data that showed the state of Arizona had a 75% drop in new COVID-19 cases after it added local mask mandates, restrictions on public events and closures of bars, gyms, movie theaters and restaurants in the middle of June, which I wrote about for the Deseret News.