(Natural News) In a May 27 tweet, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed to a new study supporting his call to lift mask mandates in schools. The study, which was led by Brown University researchers, found no correlation between mask wearing in schools and lower transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).
The researchers arrived at this finding after analyzing data on student density, ventilation upgrades and masking in Florida, New York and Massachusetts. They examined whether measures to curb virus transmission are correlated with COVID-19 case rates in school staff and students. They detailed their findings in a paper, which was posted May 21 on the pre-print website medRxiv.
The researchers found that student infection rates are higher in schools and school districts with lower in-person student density. Conversely, ventilation upgrades are associated with lower infection rates in Florida but not in New York. Meanwhile, mask mandates are not correlated with either student or staff infection rates, the researchers found. (Related: Researchers ignore scientific evidence, use obsolete data to push national mask mandate.)
Florida officials, parents urge school districts to lift mask mandates
DeSantis urges school boards to life mask mandates, saying that children shouldn’t wear face masks in schools.
“These kids do not need to be wearing these masks, OK? I’m sorry, they don’t,” he said during a news conference in Jacksonville on May 11. “We need to be able to let them be kids and let them act normally.”