The Details

The Duration: The total duration of the IRB-approved study is six weeks, spread over three two-week phases. You must be 18 years or older and living in Georgia Tech dorms to participate in the study.

Establishing the Baseline: At the beginning of the study, you will complete a profile form providing baseline information about your dormitory living arrangement, classes, etc. The survey will be administered through Qualtrics and can be completed on your phone, tablet, or computer.

The Pre-treatment Phase: During each day of the first two weeks – the “pre-treatment phase” – you will receive a survey via e-mail in the evening that should be completed about the day’s activities. It should be returned by midnight. If you miss the deadline, please return it at the very earliest on the following day.

The Treatment Phase: After two weeks, 100 of you will receive the new focal mask, which you will use during the next two weeks; the other 100 of you will continue your practice of using masks or facial coverings. During each day of this “treatment phase,” subjects in both groups will receive a Qualtrics survey via e-mail in the evening that should be completed about the day’s activities. It should be returned by midnight. If you miss the deadline, please return it at the very earliest on the following day.

The Post-treatment Phase: During the final two weeks, you can choose to use whichever mask or face covering you want. During each day of this “post-treatment phase,” subjects in both groups will receive a Qualtrics survey via e-mail in the evening that should be completed about the day’s activities. It should be returned by midnight. If you miss the deadline, please return it at the very earliest on the following day.

End of Study Survey: At the end of the final two-week period, all of you will complete a survey on your experience with masks of any kind.

Time Commitment: Completing and submitting the survey at the end of each day of the Study will require a maximum of five minutes (per day). At the end of the study, you will fill out another survey about your experience with masks, which should take you from five to ten minutes.

During the six-week study, you will be asked to respond to an e-mail during the day asking you to send a picture of yourself within a short time window; this will be done randomly three to five times during the entire six-week study and it should take you five minutes each time to respond.