Do Americans wear masks at rallies?

When we think about whether or not to put on a face mask, the choice is often influenced by our surroundings: do I need a mask to protect myself in this particular situation? What signal am I sending to others?

Consistent masking has been proven time and time again to be an effective way to contain Covid-19, and it is already saving lives. “We have found that the most important measure to reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 is to wear a mask,” said Matthew Callstrom, director of the radiology department at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and co-author of news mask research. in a statement Tuesday.

Thirty-seven states and Washington, DC, currently require individuals to wear masks in public based on this evidence, according to the AARP. Those warrants, along with public health advice, appear to be having an effect: two-thirds of Americans in October said they wear masks when leaving their homes.

But in the eighth month of the pandemic – when the United States faces a record number of daily cases and hospitalizations and a rapid rise in daily deaths – too many people are still not getting the message to wear face masks. crowded public spaces or another setting potentially risky for infection: small gatherings with family and friends.

Vox asked people across the country how they make decisions about wearing masks in a survey conducted in partnership with Data for Progress (DFP) between September and October. What do you think people might do in the following situations?

Between September 25 and October 25, 3,232 respondents in the United States responded to the Vox / DFP survey. The results show that people are slightly more likely to wear masks at gatherings indoors than outdoors. Group size is a stronger indicator: people in smaller groups are less likely to wear masks, whether indoors or outdoors.

It’s true that most of the early Covid-19 outbreaks were associated with large groups of people in poorly ventilated and overcrowded indoor spaces, but health officials across the country have recently pointed out that small gatherings are another. major factor in the current outbreak of Covid-19 nationwide. case. (Some experts, however, questioned states’ claims they have significant new data on this type of transmission, which some local officials are using to justify keeping restaurants open.)

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, for example, noted a large community spread across the state, mostly from households and social gatherings, including weddings and funerals. It’s smaller gatherings after big events, like football games or dinner parties, that have become very popular events, said Joe Kanter, acting head of the state’s Public Health Office, in a recent report. briefing. He warned that when people felt comfortable they tended to let their guard down.

Amanda Latimore, director of the Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions at the American Institutes for Research, said that people generally feel more at risk when the group is large, while smaller groups lower the perception of risk. “Size matters, but there are other factors that people should consider,” said Latimore. “You can talk to four people, and one of them just boarded a plane from a high-risk area. This should have more influence on the wearing of a mask than on the number. But people often don’t because of the psychological factor.

Concern over the risk of small gatherings is also why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounded the alarm on people traveling for Thanksgiving and December vacation. More and more Americans will congregate indoors, potentially unmasked, with groups of friends and family whom they assume are not infected.

In fact, the vast majority of respondents to the survey said they wear masks less frequently with friends and relatives than with a group of strangers.

But there is strong evidence showing that many people get infected from people they know in their own households. A study published in Nature traced 1,038 cases in Hong Kong between January and April. She found that transmission was most likely to occur within households, followed by social gatherings and workplaces. A number of contact tracing studies in mainland China, Singapore, and parts of the United States have identified similar transmission patterns: Close and prolonged contact – spending an extended period with family members and friends – led to most cases.

Mask warrants are in effect for most Americans in public places. Most states have also extended mask mandates to work settings as they opened up based on guidance from the CDC. Large social events, such as concerts and sports games, have been put on hold or held at reduced capacity with mask requirements to limit transmission of the virus. But the masking of events in small private groups has been largely left to individual interpretation.

Home visits, family meals, and small exercise groups are some of the situations where masking guidelines have been vague – if not existed.

As cases and hospitalizations increased in November, some states began issuing restrictions and clearer guidelines for small group social gatherings. In Ohio, the latest governor’s ordinance requires guests to be seated when attending receptions, which minimizes travel and does not dance. Gatherings in Iowa are now limited to eight people or less. The Michigan state government recommends limiting gatherings to no more than two households if people need to gather for the holidays.

But state ordinances do not – and cannot – regulate whether or how small private groups should come together, leaving the decision to obscure and outrun the individual’s interpretation.

The downside of putting on and taking off masks while eating and drinking contributes to the lack of consensus, making in-place dining the riskiest among all social activities, according to a CDC study that asked patients who tested positive in July .

Resistance to wearing masks in public or private can also be psychological. A recent article from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Calgary found that people were less likely to adhere to social distancing measures if they saw a lot of people walking on the streets in their neighborhood and when they felt stressed to be left alone. Without guidelines, people may feel uncomfortable wearing a mask when people around them are not wearing a mask. They can also put on masks to feel closer to family and friends.

One way to overcome this uncertainty is to talk about it. Preeti Malani, a health officer at the University of Michigan and an infectious disease physician, encourages families and groups of friends to have an open conversation about masks before they gather. “Explain why you wear a mask and why you want them to wear it. If you define this as an expectation, it’s not that strange. If everyone is wearing a mask, it doesn’t seem unusual, ”she said. “Instead of thinking of it as something that hinders your enjoyment or your freedom, think of it as a way to protect your family members.”

State and local health officials should also provide clearer and better information about private gatherings, rather than leaving nuanced decisions entirely to individuals, Latimore said.

For Thanksgiving, the CDC advises against all travel. But for those hosting or attending local family or friend gatherings, the CDC has a comprehensive guide, including preparing additional masks and requiring your guests to wear them if you are hosting them. While Malani says only virtual gatherings are really safe, she offered a few tips for getting together in person this year: “eliminate food and just get together.”

Eating with masks can be a problem and a risk. Skipping a meal means at least one less choice to make this year about when to hide.

Lois Parshley contributed reporting.