Face Mask Usage by Demographic

COVID-19 case rates are increasing rapidly in most states in the U.S., however people are reacting to it much differently than when it first appeared in the country at the end of February. For instance, while some states are closing down and requiring people to wear face masks, others are banning local officials from implementing mandatory face mask procedures. A new survey shows a few demographic facts on who’s wearing face masks and who isn’t.

A new survey from Gallup shows 72 percent of U.S. adults say they either always wear a face mask or wear one often when going to public places. Women, college graduates and Democrats responded the most that they often or always wear a face mask, while men, non-college graduates and Republicans had the highest percentages of those saying they either rarely or never wear a face mask.

Health experts have overwhelmingly agreed that wearing face masks can help stop the spread of COVID-19. However, an increase in misinformation and growing mistrust of media and government officials has built a substantial coalition of people around the country who refuse to wear one. This could be a factor in increasing cases across most states, and is unnecessarily endangering themselves and other lives.