Face‐touching behaviour as a possible correlate of mask‐wearing: A video observational study of public place incidents during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Liebst, Lasse S.; Ejbye‐Ernst, Peter; de Bruin, Marijn; Thomas, Josephine; Lindegaard, Marie R.

Most countries in the world have recommended or mandated face masks in some or all public places during the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, mask use has been thought to increase people's face‐touching frequency and thus risk of self‐inoculation. Across two studies, we video‐observed the face‐touching behaviour of members of the public in Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) during the first wave of the pandemic. Study 1 (n = 383) yielded evidence in favour of the absence of an association between mask‐wearing and face‐touching (defined as touches of face or mask), and Study 2 (n = 421) replicated this result. Secondary outcome analysis of the two studies—analysed separately and with pooled data sets—evidenced a negative association between mask‐wearing and hand contact with the face and its t‐zone (i.e. eyes, nose and mouth). In sum, the current findings alleviate the concern that mask‐wearing has an adverse face‐touching effect.