Universal masking linked to drop in COVID-19 among health care workers

Researchers from Henry Ford Health System in Detroit examined the system’s universal masking policy implemented at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and found it strongly associated with a reduced risk of health care workers acquiring COVID-19. In the study, the authors analyzed the hospital’s internal quality metric reporting database and found implementation of the universal mask policy correlated with a significant drop in positive SARS-CoV-2 tests among health care workers. The number of cases among employees continued to fall even as case numbers rose in the state of Michigan through late March 2020. “This research reinforces the fact that mask wearing is effective in reducing the risk of acquiring COVID-19,” said Steven Kalkanis, MD, chief executive officer of Henry Ford Medical Group. (Henry Ford news release, 3/26/21)