Masking leads to fewer COVID cases in schools

Public schools that kept universal masking requirements in place last year had significantly fewer cases of COVID-19 than their counterparts that lifted mandates as state policies changed, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that weighs in on the hotly debated pandemic safety measure.

The study, which followed schools in the Boston region during the 2021-22 academic year, found that the end of mask requirements was associated with an additional 45 cases of COVID-19 per 1,000 students and staff - or nearly 12,000 cases during a 15-week period from March to June.