February 5, 2021

Risk compensation and face mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Keywords (Tags): masks, non-pharm interventions

Implementation of face mask mandates may lead to people participating in higher risk activities. Using SafeGraph smart device location data and variation in the date that US states and counties issued face mask mandates, a comparison of time at home and the number of visits to public locations before and after face mask orders suggests that face mask orders led to risk compensation behavior. People subject to the mask orders spent 11–24 fewer minutes at home on average and made more visits to some commercial locations—most notably restaurants, which are a high-risk location.

Yan et al. (Feb 4, 2021). Risk compensation and face mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82574-w