Wearing a face mask likely prevented 139 customers from contracting COVID-19 from two hair stylists with symptomatic cases, a recent CDC case study found.
The stylists worked at a salon in Springfield, Mo., and contracted COVID-19 in May. They directly interacted with 139 clients, with appointment lengths ranging from 15 to 45 minutes, before taking a leave of absence from work. Both the stylists and customers wore face masks.
Of the 139 clients who were exposed, none reported symptomatic cases. Sixty-seven took COVID-19 tests, and all results were negative.
Strict adherence to the city and salon's face mask policy likely mitigated the virus's spread, the CDC said.
"Broader implementation of face-covering policies could mitigate the spread of infection in the general population," the agency concluded.
To view the full case study, click here.