NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) -- A new Vanderbilt study suggests Tennessee counties without mask requirements are seeing significantly more residents hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Researchers in the Department of Health Policy at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine say that in the 26 counties with mask requirements, hospitalization rates are generally stable or declining.
However, in the 69 counties without mask mandates have - on average - suffered a roughly 200 percent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations since July 1.
Researchers stress that it’s difficult to pinpoint mask use as the sole reason for the difference because other types of pandemic restrictions vary widely from county to county.
