Mask compliance still remains low in India despite most lethal COVID-19 wave: Survey

Mask wearing compliance still remains low in India despite it being one of the worst hit by the second wave of COVID-19, according to findings of a survey. The mask compliance at vaccination centres also remains low, as per the survey conducted by online social media platform LocalCircles.

“Despite the most lethal COVID-19 wave that any country in the world has experienced so far, India’s mask compliance is still low as indicated by the survey finding where 67 per cent of citizens say there is limited or no mask compliance in their area, district, or city,” it said.

The survey received over 33,000 responses from citizens located in 312 districts of the country.

According to the survey findings, only 32 per cent of citizens in the survey note that there was limited mask compliance at the vaccination centre they recently visited.

Many respondents noted that their family members have gotten COVID-19 a few days after receiving vaccination at centres, citing the high possibility of some vaccination centres being superspreaders as some people were not even following masking protocols.

It is a major concern that requires an immediate action to make sure that such centres do not become superspreaders, as per the findings of the survey.

The survey tried to find out how people in cities and districts, including at the vaccination centres, are complying with wearing a face mask.

It also sought to find out if people are wearing the right masks that give them protection, or are they wearing any mask just for the sake of it.

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Lastly, the survey sought to gather citizens’ pulse if the state governments should make the wearing of masks outside home mandatory in districts with active COVID-19 cases.

It found that only 44 per cent of the Indians were wearing cloth masks which may not provide them with the needed protection against the highly transmissible variants like Delta.

The findings of the survey indicate that one in two Indians were wearing cloth masks that provide limited protection from COVID, it added.

Many Indians since 2020 have been using cloth masks, some even using ones made at home, assuming that they will provide the necessary protection from COVID-19 while that may not be the case with the new Delta variant, it said.

On the question whether the state governments should make wearing of masks outside home mandatory if a district has any covered cases, 91 per cent of the respondents okayed the proposal while 8 per cent decided against it.