Mask Use On College Campuses Prevalent, Experts Say Challenges Remain, TU

Press release from Towson University:

By Cody Boteler on February 16, 2020

A recent study found that mask wearing on college campuses is relatively widespread.
Marguerite Lucea, an assistant professor of nursing at TU, says more education is
needed. (Photo: Lauren Castellana)

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says people on college
campuses wear masks 85.5% of the time and that 89.7% of people wearing masks wear
them correctly.

The study “was demonstrating that, in general, there is pretty good compliance [with
mask mandates] across student bodies and faculty/staff on college campuses,” says
Marguerite Lucea, an assistant professor in the Department of Nursing whose background is in public health.

The observational study included six rural and suburban colleges with mask mandates
in the southern and western United States and ran from September through November
2020. Mask wearing is required on Towson University’s campus, in accordance with local and state guidelines.

Lucea says she was “pleasantly surprised” to see such high levels of observed mask
wearing.

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Public health officials agree wearing a mask is one of the most effective ways to
prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Proper mask wearing, combined
with other measures like hand washing and physical distancing, are especially important
to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus before a higher percentage of the population
is vaccinated.

“That’s the way we’re going to get a handle on this,” Lucea says of masking and other
measures. “The key thing is, you also have to make sure people understand the right
method.”

The CDC has a full list of considerations for wearing a mask, including:

• A mask should completely cover your mask and mouth and fit snugly on the sides without leaving gaps
• Masks work best when everyone wears one; they are to protect others and yourself
• You should wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after touching or removing your mask
• Masks should not be made of loosely woven fabric that allows light to pass through
• Masks should not have just one layer or exhalation valves/vents

A recent study from the CDC says that wearing a disposable/surgical mask underneath
a cloth mask can block nearly 93% of potentially infectious particles from spreading,
further protecting against the transmission of the coronavirus. However, the new study
has not caused the CDC to officially change its recommendations to include double-masking.

Because the CDC mask-use study showed a rate of just 76.7% correct mask wearing, Lucea says more education around how to properly wear a mask is important.
Information about mask-wearing policies is important too, she says.

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In addition to education on how to wear a mask, enforced policies that require mask
wearing are important to change behavior and get more people to wear masks, Lucea
says.

“Universities, and each of us, have a responsibility to ensure the policies are being
enforced,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be like a police state. It can be more like
saying to someone, ‘Hey, the policy is when you’re inside you need to mask up.’ Or,
if you see someone wearing a mask incorrectly, just gently correcting them.”

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.