Study suggests mask-wearing reduces the odds of self-infection with SARS-CoV-2

[VIDEO DESC & TRANSCRIPT:] Clip begins with a freeze frame of the title “Self-infection with speech cresol may contribute to COVID-19 severity” with a citation listed below: Kushalnagar, P., Carson, C., & Bax, A. (2021). Self-infection with speech cresol may contribute to COVID-19 severity. Journal of Internal Medicine. doi.org/10.1111/joim.13370. Below that are two rectangles: the first has the Gallaudet University logo and the words “GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY Center for Deaf Health Equity.” The second rectangle contains the National Institute of Health logo along with the words “National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.” The video begins with a Japanese woman with black medium hair wearing a navy v-neck shirt is standing in front of a dark blue background.

AI: Is mask wearing effective in reducing the severity of infection caused by COVID-19? Yes! Our center’s Dr. Poorna Kushalnagar conducted collaborative research with Dr. Carson C. Chow and Dr. Adriaan Bax at NIDDK (National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). Together, the three of them recently published a paper on the topic.

If a speaker is infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract, the virus can spread through into the lungs through speaking. The severity of infection is also increased in the individual as the virus leaves and re-enters the body through the mouth, moving into the lower respiratory tract.

Our center gathered data from a sample of deaf people who mainly use ASL. The sample consisted of a total of 102 deaf signers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 by a medical professional or had experienced positive results from a PCR test. We asked participants about the following: self-reported duration of voicing, how often they used a mask, and what COVID-19 symptoms they experienced and the severity of those symptoms.

Results show that combined less vocalization and regular mask wearing is correlated with a lesser degree of COVID-19 symptom severity. In conclusion, the results suggest that masks catch speech droplets and trap them as an individual breathes and vocalizes, reducing the opportunity for the virus to re-enter the body. Overall, wearing a mask helps to reduce the severity of symptoms.

Our study’s findings are based on a relatively small sample size, with just 102 deaf adults. We hope that future research will expand on our study, as well as use larger sample sizes. Thank you for watching.