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Does CDC guidance lack studies or data showing student masking reduces COVID-19 infections?

By Dana Ford
NO

The Centers for Disease Control website is peppered with references to studies that show mask use by students is associated with lower COVID-19 infection rates, contrary to a claim in a social media post.

A study in North Carolina looked at 11 school districts that adhered to multiple prevention strategies, including universal mask use. It reported low school-related transmission and "breaches in mask use likely explained the few instances of in-school spread of SARS-CoV-2," according to the CDC.

A similar study of elementary schools in Utah with high student mask use found low school-related transmission.

And a Florida study found higher infection rates in districts with no mask requirement. That study said: "Success in preventing the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into schools depends upon controlling community transmission and adhering to mitigation measures in schools, particularly masking, physical distancing, testing, and increasing room air ventilation."

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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