Study: Odds of school virus flare-up lower with mask mandate

PHOENIX (AP) — Researchers say Arizona schools without mask requirements were several times more likely to experience COVID-19 outbreaks than schools with mandates in place when the current school year began. An article published Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the impact of mask requirements at K-12 district schools in the state’s two most populous counties. It said the “odds of a school-associated COVID-19 outbreak were 3.5 times higher in schools with no mask requirement than in those with a mask requirement implemented at the time school started.” The authors included researchers from the CDC, Arizona State University and health departments of the two counties.