Schools with universal masking report fewer COVID-19 cases, studies show

K-12 schools that required universal masking reported significant reductions in COVID-19 cases last year during the delta wave of the pandemic, according to two studies published this week.
In Pediatrics, researchers reported results from a study conducted in more than 60 school districts that showed there were 72% fewer COVID-19 cases in schools with a universal mask requirement compared with schools that had a mask-optional policy.
A second study published in MMWR found that schools in Arkansas with universal mask requirements reported 23% fewer cases than those without.
The observational

K-12 schools that required universal masking reported significant reductions in COVID-19 cases last year during the delta wave of the pandemic, according to two studies published this week.
In Pediatrics, researchers reported results from a study conducted in more than 60 school districts that showed there were 72% fewer COVID-19 cases in schools with a universal mask requirement compared with schools that had a mask-optional policy.
A second study published in MMWR found that schools in Arkansas with universal mask requirements reported 23% fewer cases than those without.
The observational