The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reshuffled the world. The pandemic left debilitating effects that continue to suppress global economies and institutions. The World Health Organization (2023) reports that at least 3.3 million died from the disease. However, this figure might be higher considering the gaps in reporting the death tolls across countries. Face masks became important tools and interventions for curbing the spread of the Corona Virus that causes COVID-19. However, the significance of population-level facemask wearing was confined to the pandemic, as face masks have largely been perceived as hospital equipment. Cultural barriers significantly impeded the effective implementation of this intervention leading to skewed results in reporting its effectiveness across the globe. This study explores the significance of face mask-wearing during COVID-19 in terms of outcome and outlines ways to improve cultural acceptance to facilitate efficient implementation of the intervention in case of a public health crisis.

Outcomes

Studies on the importance or viability of face mask wearing as an intervention to the Coronavirus extensively report positive outcomes. Face mask-wearing has been linked to reduced virus load, transmission, and infection severity (Catching, Capponi, Bianco, & Yeh, 2021; MacIntyre & Chughtai, 2020; Suzuki, Hasegawa, Kano, & Okamoto, 2020). Cultural barriers and their effects on the effectiveness of the intervention are significantly overlooked. Only Gandhi, Beyrer, and Goosby (2020) link long-term and frequent population face masks to increased asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 symptoms. Masks were declared mandatory across states regardless of the financial status of the individuals. Low-income individuals were more likely to wear the same mask repeatedly. Research shows that consistently breathing in the mask dampens the mask (Matuschek et al., 2020). The moisture inside makes it airtight, so exhaled air cannot easily escape. This barrier makes the mask lose its protective feature putting individuals at a higher risk of contracting the infections. This study’s expected outcomes are positive and negative, as in the cases of reduced viral infection and more asymptomatic infections linked to cultural barriers.

1. Mask-wearing during COVID-19 reduced transmission by at least 10% within the first three months of implementation.
2. Cultural resistance towards mask-wearing impeded the successful implementation of the intervention, increasing the risk of infection in communities.
3. Low-income communities were subjected to the repeated wearing of the same mask. Long-term breathing through the same mask lowers its protective effectiveness, creating room for more infections.
4. Reduced viral load attained through consistent mask-wearing helps reduce the severity of the illness for already infected persons but increases asymptomatic and mild symptoms manifestation.
5. Face mask-wearing reduces transmission of respiratory diseases, helping limit comorbidities that increase the risk of dying from COVID-19 by at least 5%.

Approach/Implementation

This study heavily relies on desktop research. Secondary data obtained through literature review form the bulk of the study as the impact of COVID-19 has significantly subsided worldwide. However, the importance of primary data must be considered in this study due to the sensitivity of cultural gaps in face mask acceptance. Primary data is crucial when conducting cross-cultural research because it enhances compatibility and provides first-hand information on the attitudes and perceptions of the target population (Reyes-García, Morsello, & Ruiz-Mallén, n.d). This study involves assessing the impact of culture on face mask effectiveness in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. Therefore, the research will collect primary data to fill this gap.

Secondary data collection will involve an in-depth literature review on the topic. Interventions for curbing the spread of the Coronavirus attracted massive research between the onset of the virus and today. Most researchers focused on the efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions. This research slightly deviates from this common trajectory and delves into understanding some of the unaddressed issues that might have blurred the effectiveness of mask-wearing

The review will focus on delineating unique themes such as the impact of culture, the connection between virus load and asymptomatic infection manifestation, inefficient use of masks, and poor hygiene while handling masks. Gandhi, Beyrer, and Goosby (2020) associated long-term mask-wearing with reduced viral load or inoculum. However, the reduction in the vial load reportedly enhances asymptomatic infection. Catching et al. (2021) established t