Survey Finds Most Americans Support Face Masks, but Our Mask-Wearing Habits Say Otherwise
Despite recommendations from public health experts to wear masks when you’re in contact with people outside your household to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a new survey finds that only about half of Americans are doing so.
The survey, which was conducted as part of the University of Southern California’s Understanding Coronavirus in America study, polled more than 6,000 adults aged 18 and up about their mask-wearing habits.
Researchers discovered that, while 83% of adults say wearing masks is an effective way to stay safe from COVID-19, their mask-wearing behavior is very inconsistent. Specifically:
Two-thirds of people said they were in close contact with people from outside their household in early December, but only half of them said they mostly or always wore a mask during that time.
Nearly 15% reported gathering in groups of 10 or more people, but only 46% wore a mask most or all of the time during those gatherings.
Of the 4 in 10 people who said they visited someone else’s home, only 21% wore a mask most or all of the time they were together.
Of the 81% of people who shopped for groceries in early December, 90% wore a mask.
There was also a racial divide with mask wearing: White people were the least likely racial group to consistently mask up when in close contact with people from outside their household. Indeed, only 46% of white people consistently wore a mask, compared to 67% of Black people, 63% of Latinx people, and 65% of people from other racial groups.
The survey results coincided with President Biden’s federal mask mandate.
On January 20, President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating the use of face masks on federal property. “To protect the federal workforce and individuals interacting with the federal workforce, and to ensure the continuity of government services and activities, on-duty or on-site federal employees, on-site federal contractors, and other individuals in federal buildings and on federal lands should all wear masks, maintain physical distance, and adhere to other public health measures, as provided in CDC guidelines,” the order reads.
Another executive order, issued the following day, requires the use of face masks in interstate public transportation, including airports, planes, trains, ferries, and bus services.
What does this mean for the future of the COVID-19 pandemic?
The survey findings “are very disturbing and the main reason we continue to see the rise in cases and deaths,” says John Sellick, D.O., an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo/SUNY in New York. Research shows that masks reduce the spread of COVID-19 when worn properly (over the nose and mouth).
Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, wasn’t surprised by the results of the survey. “If mask-wearing is enforced at a store, people may wear masks, but a lot of transmission is happening in people’s private homes and gatherings,” he says. “People are not going to be wearing masks at the same level at a person’s house—even though private gatherings do drive spread of the virus.”
The new mandates for mask wearing on federal property and public transit “help move the needle, because it’s a policy that’s guided by science,” Dr. Adalja says. But, he points out, “people’s homes are not federal property.” The latest mask mandates “set the right tone,” but can only do so much to prevent the spread of the virus, he says.
What the mandate does underscore is that mask wearing is important during the pandemic, says Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University. “People need to wear a mask every time they go in public. Period,” he says. “Every little bit to promote mask wearing helps.”
William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, calls the new mandates “very important,” pointing out that they “set a national standard.” He adds, “it’s the beginning of trying to get a national approach to COVID rather than a local one.”
Dr. Adalja stresses that people need to get used to wearing masks for the foreseeable future. “So long as there’s not enough vaccination happening, masks are going to be important for preventing spread of the virus,” he says. Social distancing, mask use, and hand hygiene are crucial until that point “or we will continue to set new fatality records,” Dr. Sellick says.
Dr. Schaffner agrees, and urges people to be patient with wearing masks. “If we can enhance our vaccination program, get 75 to 80% of the population vaccinated, then you’ll hear the all-clear whistle,” he says. “But the anticipation is that this will take some time.”
This article is accurate as of press time. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolves and the scientific community’s understanding of the novel coronavirus develops, some of the information may have changed since it was last updated. While we aim to keep all of our stories up to date, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department to stay informed on the latest news. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
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