Just presented at #CROI2023: We counted the number of kids and adults fully masked at school and compared it to wastewater in covid. After correcting for background vaccination and case rates, masking was significantly associated with lower probability of covid+ 💩 (1/x) 
This genuinely surprised me! I was not expecting to see such a big effect! (2/x)
But here's what's very cool - these kids were not wearing fit tests n95s. They were kids wearing kid masks (mostly fabric) like kids do (damply). And yet we still saw a dramatic effect. Why? A few thoughts (3/x)
1- masking is effective. Better masks are better, but any mask is better than no mask.
2- masking probably correlates with a constellation of other protective behaviors. Kids who mask are likely to live with adults who mask, etc...
(4/x)
2- masking probably correlates with a constellation of other protective behaviors. Kids who mask are likely to live with adults who mask, etc...
(4/x)
3-Schools where masking was normative may also have been more likely to implement other measures (ventilation, testing). (5/x)
Even if we were not just measuring masking, this speaks to the importance of creating cultures of safety. And, just as important, that no intervention has to be perfect. Even a few people may have the ability to drive large effects. (6/7)
And why? Because every child has the right to feel safe at school (/fin)
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