SAN DIEGO — Masking and proper ventilation effectively protected healthcare workers and patients from contracting COVID-19, a recent UC San Diego Health study released Tuesday says.
Researchers at UCSD say using high-tech contact tracing and COVID-19 genetic data prove certain prevention measures, like masking and ventilation, provide protection from contracting the virus. The vast majority of transmission happens outside of the hospital setting, the study says.
"We were preventing transmissions," Dr. Francesca Torriani with UC San Diego Health said. "Simple measures like masking used in simple times, along with good ventilation, really makes a difference. That allows us to make decisions that are more reasoned and less onerous on people."
Dr. Torriani says UCSD collected more than 12,000 virus samples from more than 35,000 patients between November 2020 and February 2022. They found most COVID-19 virus transmissions happened outside of the healthcare setting. Dr. Torriani says they conducted a genetic analysis of the strains, contact tracing and analyzed the data.
"Not only was there a genetic relationship, a 'was the person there at the right time?' supports a relationship. We know that the air exchange like in the planes, like in the acute hospitals are working and changing that air and reducing the amount of particles," Torriani says.
Some San Diegans were split on whether they would willingly go back to masking restrictions.
"I would definitely do it," Ximena says. "Sometimes it was annoying but I think I wouldn't mind it if we put our masks back on. Totally fine by me."
Kathia Rodriguez was an essential worker during the pandemic.
"Most of the time I feel safe (wearing a mask), especially when I had a customer who was really sick and coughing in my face so it made me feel really secure," she said.
Another woman wasn’t so sure.
"No man! I don't want to wear a mask," she said. "I just want to keep living. I prefer to just be as natural as possible."
The study also says that even when hundreds of healthcare workers were getting infected every week during Omicron's surge and waves, healthcare workers were no more likely to catch the virus in a hospital or other healthcare setting.
Researchers at UCSD say that their masking rules and proper ventilation in hospitals saved lives.
WATCH RELATED: South Park restaurant and salon required to remove outdoor space constructed during COVID