Use of face coverings by the public during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study

Arp, Nicholas L.; Nguyen, Tung H.; Linck, Emma J. Graham; Feeney, Austin K.; Schrope, Jonathan H.; Ruedinger, Katrina L.; Gao, Anqi; Miranda-Katz, Margot; Kates, Ashley E.; Safdar, Nasia

Public health agencies have recommended that the public wear face coverings as a major non-pharmaceutical intervention to mitigate COVID-19 transmission. However, there is concern whether or not the public has adopted this recommendation. An observational study of 3,271 members of the public was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the use of face coverings at grocery stores across 20 Wisconsin counties between May 16th and June 1st, 2020. Of the total individuals observed, we found that only 41.2% used face coverings. Individuals who appeared to be adults (aOR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.20–2.27) or older adults (aOR = 3.67; 95% CI = 2.59–5.19) were more likely to be wearing face coverings than younger individuals. Additionally, individuals with female gender expression (aOR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.24–1.66) and individuals shopping at a more expensive grocery store (aOR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.69–2.25) were more likely to be wearing face coverings. We did not find an association between county level prevalence of COVID-19 cases and face covering use. To our knowledge, this is the first study using direct observations to examine face covering behavior by the public and our findings have implications for public health agencies.