The purpose of the study is to test the role of the newly developed reusable form-fitting fabric mask – named the “focal” mask – in reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a community setting comprising undergraduate students living in dormitories at Georgia Tech. Out of 200 students in the six-week study, 100 will be given the focal mask and asked to use it during a two-week period of the study. The other 100 will continue to follow their regular practice regarding the use of masks and face coverings. The subjects will be asked to fill out a daily survey (electronically). A compensation of $150 will be given to each subject at the end of the study. Subjects who develop COVID-19 during the study will be required to withdraw from the study but will still be entitled to compensation.
This study is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Georgia Tech Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved the conduct of this study. The data of all the subjects will be de-identified.
The identity of the subjects will be protected and no information that can be traced back to any specific subject will be released.
For information about the study, please contact Dr. Sungmee Park (maskstudy@gatech.edu) or Professor Sundaresan Jayaraman at maskstudy@gatech.edu.