A student-led U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored study found that nearly everyone inside a building on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder complied with the mask mandate during the spring semester. 

Many higher-education institutions, including CU and CSU, will require vaccines

Throughout the study that was conducted from the middle of February through the middle of April, undergraduate student observers recorded that over 98% of all people in buildings on campus wore masks indoors, and 93% of them wore their masks correctly, according to the release.

“Our study shows a fairly high rate of compliance, highlighting the commitment many of our students have made to protect our community,” said Tanya Alderete, an assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology, and in charge of the research for the study at the university.  

Despite the high compliance rate in buildings on campus, research found that number drastically decreased as 79.4% of people observed wore masks outside on or nearby the university’s campus.

The observers were 13 undergraduate students who were recruited and trained for the study and would work in high-traffic areas such as dining halls, recreation center and the Norlin Quad, according to the release from CU Boulder. 

Each student worked a one hour shift per week and would observe and collect information for every third person seen. They would write down whether the person was wearing a mask, if it was worn correctly, and what type of material it was made from. 

Alex Jackson, a sophomore majoring in integrative physiology volunteered for the study to get involved and to help in anyway possible.

“I think we have all felt a little hopeless at times about the pandemic, like there is nothing we can do to help,” Jackson said in the release. “This felt like a good opportunity to get involved.”

During the eight week study, more than 2,800 people were observed and found that anywhere between 45% and 99% wore the masks correctly, depending on the location. 

Places like the pedestrian bridge at the corner of 14th and College streets, mask compliances was as low as 45%. Other areas such as entryways to residence halls, dining halls and classroom buildings also had low compliance, according to the release. 

These low compliance rates outdoors raised concerns for those involved in the study.

“If you are not wearing a mask on some side street on the hill that is one thing, but these are busy areas where we really should be seeing good mask adherence,” said Research Assistant Kevin Clark.

The full results of the study that included 53 universities across the United States, including CU Boulder, will be published by the CDC at a later date, according to the release. 

Although mask compliance in buildings was generally high, researchers are asking for students, faculty, staff and visitors to remain vigilant as cases are beginning to rise again.

“In the U.S., thousands of people are still getting sick and dying from COVID-19. And while vaccination decreases the risk of infection and the severity of disease, these risks are not zero,” Alderete said. “This means that responsible behavior is still important.”