Local, state and federal face mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2021-04, Vol.42 (4), p.455-456
• Main Authors: Guzman-Cottrill, Judith A, Malani, Anurag N, Weber, David J, Babcock, Hilary, Haessler, Sarah D, Hayden, Mary K, Henderson, David K, Murthy, Rekha, Rock, Clare, Van Schooneveld, Trevor, Wright, Sharon B, Forde, Corey, Logan, Latania K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Disease control; Federal Government; Governors; Humans; Local Government; Mandatory Programs - legislation & jurisprudence; Masks; Masks - standards; Masks - statistics & numerical data; Nursing; Older people; Pandemics; Protective equipment; Public health; State Government; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0899-823X; 1559-6834
• DOI: 10.1017/ice.2020.1403

On April 3, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a recommendation that public citizens should wear “nonmedical cloth masks” while in public places to help prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2.2 The initial rationale behind this recommendation was for “source control,” to limit the emission of virus-containing respiratory droplets from infected people during their contagious period. [...]3-layer masks are not associated with a decline in oxygen saturation in older persons, and they may be protective for children with exercise-induced asthma.12,13 The American Lung Association recommends public face masks for people with chronic lung disease in addition to the other public health–recommended preventive strategies that all should follow: maintaining physical distance from others, avoiding crowded areas, and performing frequent hand hygiene.14 Across the United States, community-level COVID-19 rates vary dramatically. In July 2020, the governor of Kansas issued an executive order requiring public face masks, but county officials had the authority to opt out of the mandate.16 In the 24 counties that accepted the face mask requirement, the COVID-19 incidence decreased.17 Simultaneously, the COVID-19 incidence dramatically increased in the counties that opted out of the mask mandate.17 Similar trends comparing counties with and without public face mask requirements have also been reported in Missouri.18 Many hospitals and healthcare systems are currently operating at crisis capacity, and their inpatient surge capacity plans are not meeting the widening gap. Facilities continue to face challenges in unreliable PPE supply chains, and commercial laboratory turnaround times are again lengthening due to dramatic increases in patient testing. [...]a vaccine is widely available, the only effective way to reverse this dire situation is to “flatten the curve” and for the general public to do everything possible to decrease viral transmission.