NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Vanderbilt University analysis of daily COVID-19 hospitalization data in Tennessee shows a stark difference between counties with mask mandates and counties that do not require face coverings.
The Tennessean reports that the Vanderbilt Department of Health Policy analyzed statewide hospital admissions and found that those in areas requiring most residents to wear masks reported a 30% increase in new admissions in July.
Hospitals in areas where most residents aren’t required to wear face coverings saw a 200% jump in the same time period. The research doesn’t fully attribute the decline to mask mandates, saying some places also have other public health orders that likely had an effect.