Results for week four of mask-use study at Auburn announced

Auburn University, in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is currently studying mask use on and around campus.

During the week of Feb. 22-27, the study found 93% of individuals wore masks and of those 92% wore their mask correctly. The most common mask type observed during the week was cloth (63%), followed by surgical masks (25%).

Over 60 colleges and universities across the country are participating in the study during the spring semester. Students trained as data collectors are observing people on campus and at off-campus sites frequented by students.

With a full month of observations recorded, researchers noted that the percentage of individuals observed wearing a mask has stayed pretty consistent, but the percentage of individuals observed wearing a mask correctly increased during the first three weeks of February, but decreased during the last week of the month.

Researchers continue to urge individuals to maintain proper mask usage. To wear a mask correctly, it must fit as snugly as possible to the face, covering the chin, mouth and nose up to the nose bridge. The mask should not be below the nose or worn at the tip of their nose. The mask should fit tightly against the face.