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My Nguyen Faculty of Economics and Public Management, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCorrespondence: My NguyenFaculty of Economics and Public Management, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 35-37 Ho Hao Hon, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84-28-38364748Fax +84-28-39207639Email my.ngt@ou.edu.vnPurpose: This study investigates the extent to which the Public Mask Mandate, a policy that requires the use of face masks in public, can protect people from developing COVID-19 symptoms during the initial stage of the pandemic from mid-April to early June 2020 in the United States (US).Methods: We employ the difference-in-differences model that exploits the differential timing of the mask mandate implementation across states.Results: Our findings show that the Public Mask Mandate significantly lowers the incidence of developing all COVID-19 symptoms by 0.29 percentage points. The estimate implies an average reduction of 290%, compared to the proportion of the mandate-unaffected individuals who display all symptoms (0.1%).Conclusion: The study provides suggestive evidence for the health benefits of wearing masks in public in the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also highlights the relevance of public mask wearing for the ongoing pandemic where the vaccination rate is precarious and access to vaccines is still limited in many countries.Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus symptoms, mask mandates, face masks |
