Good afternoon,
Do masks work?
A growing body of evidence suggests the answer is resounding yes,
The Washington Post (subscription) took note last week of a report from Carnegie-Mellon University that ranked states by the rate of mask-wearing and the percentage of people who know someone with Covid-19 symptoms.
Delaware, thanks to its relatively high rate of mask use, ranks in the lower tier of states regarding the percentage of people who know someone with symptoms. The Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, all coping with outbreaks, rank near the top.
It was no surprise that the governor and state health officials highlighted the Post report at yesterday’s Covid briefing
The ranking is not perfect due to a patchwork of mandates from cities and counties and the volatile political environment. Rural communities also come with a grapevine that can spread quickly the word about individuals testing positive.
A study from the University of Kansas offers additional insights.
Kansas – a red state with a Democratic governor who wants a statewide mask mandate similar to the one in Delaware – currently allows counties to set up their own rules?
The two dozen or so of Kansas’ whopping 105 counties opted for mask mandates and saw roughly half the percentage of cases as their mask less counterparts, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
The third study from Vanderbilt University is the most significant. Like Kansas, Tennessee lets localities determine mask mandates.
It turns out that counties with the mandates have fewer hospitalizations, Axios reported. It tosses into the dumpster the argument that Covid-19 is “just the flu.”
It is now abundantly clear that the process of holding down the spread of the virus and expanding the reopening of schools, events, and businesses hinges on mask-wearing and doing the right things in limiting social gatherings, practicing social distancing, and good hygiene.
That brings us to the shock expressed among some pro-maskers when they learned that face-covering is not required at polling places.
The ruling from the Attorney General’s office has to do with constitutional issues that center around requiring masks at church services, protests, and voting places.
The current environment could lead to challenges and potential disruptions by militant elements within the anti-mask crowd who cite discredited claims spread through social media and even talk shows.
Options – such as a separate area for a small number of people trying to make a point – would have been difficult to impose in many polling places.
The heavy volume of mail-in voting should reduce the potential for disruptions. Still, it is unfortunate that a few people would choose to put others in danger. It’s yet another good reason to wear a mask in public places:- Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
