3 Out of 4 Say Masks Needed In NC COVID-19 Fight: Patch Survey

NORTH CAROLINA — A majority of North Carolinians support the use of face coverings as a collective means to slow the spread of coronavirus and say mask use — or the lack thereof — is affecting personal decisions about where to spend money and how to socialize, according to an informal reader survey Patch conducted Thursday.

The coronavirus pandemic has put a tremendous strain on nearly everyone and everything, particularly when it comes to resuming life. Perhaps no issue is as polarizing, however, than how to go about getting back to the daily tasks of life — and the role masks and face coverings should play in it.

Masks are a "low-cost, low-tech" method to protect communities "without hurting the economy," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday. Cooper is expected to announce early next week the next steps for reopening the state, and has indicated they may include a face covering mandate.

"We’re examining the issues surrounding a statewide requirement of face masks & some local governments have put requirements into effect already," Cooper said Thursday during a news conference. "Regardless of whether it’s a law or store requirement, wearing a face covering when you’re around others slows the spread of the virus."

According to an informal Patch survey of 1,160 respondents, most state residents agree, with eight out of 10 indicating they would comply with a mandate.

The survey, which appeared in questionnaire form earlier Thursday on Patch, is meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

About 10 percent of respondents said they or someone close to them had tested positive for COVID-19, while nearly 87 percent said they had no direct experience with the virus personally, in their immediate family or their close social circle.

More than 77 percent of the survey's respondents said they believed masks are important when it comes to slowing the spread of coronavirus, compared to nearly 17 percent who said they were not and nearly 6 percent who were unsure.

About three out of every four said they wear masks in public, but the decision of whether to do so is not without pressure from others. About 40 percent of respondents reported feeling judged by others in the community for their decision to either wear or not wear a face covering.

While more than 77 percent of respondents said they wear masks in public settings, it's not an effort uniformly reciprocated. About 53 percent said they occasionally see others wearing a face covering in the community, compared to about 35 percent who say they often see others wearing masks. About 11 percent said they rarely see others masking up.

The majority of those who took the survey — nearly 68 percent — said they thought public health officials' encouragement to wear masks was sound public health advice, though about 14 percent said they were not convinced they would help. More than nine percent of respondents said the campaign to implement widespread mask use was political rhetoric.

The Patch survey also included questions about how masks play a role in where North Carolina residents choose to do business, as well as how they should be implemented with the reopening of schools.

The majority of respondents — 61 percent — said that they have avoided businesses or social situations because masks weren't worn and 44 percent said they would not spend money at a business that does not have a mask policy for its workers and/or customers.

The sentiment was much stronger when it came to children. Almost 72 percent of respondents said they believed all students, teachers and staff should be required to wear masks when schools reopen.

Results for more of the survey's questions appear below.

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