Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology

en Associations between Wearing Masks, Hand Washing, and the Risk of COVID-19 Contraction: A Case-Control Study in the Northwest of Iran Epidemiology Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><cite>Background: Scientists believe that the new coronavirus causing COVID-19 is airborne. It has been approved that wearing masks and hand washing prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the association between wearing facemasks, hand washing, and COVID-19 contraction in the population of Tabriz, Iran.</cite> <cite>Materials & Methods: In this analytical study, necessary information was collected via four online multi-optional questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, the COVID-19 virus, mask-wearing behaviors, and hand hygiene habits among 360 individuals (120 cases and 240 controls). Based on data normality, quantitative variables were reported as mean ± standard deviation or the median (min-max). In addition, the relationship between qualitative variables was evaluated by the Fisher’s exact test, and correlations were assessed by the Spearman's test.</cite> <cite>Results: Elderly individuals and their care seekers had fewer potentials for exposure to COVID-19 (p = 0.010), but healthcare workers were at a higher risk of contracting the virus than other occupations (p = 0.002). In addition, smokers were at a lower risk of the disease than other healthy people (p = 0.009). Furthermore, the incidence of COVID-19 was significantly higher among individuals not wearing facemasks than others (p = 0.007).</cite> <cite>Conclusions: we concluded that wearing a facemask was more effective than hand washing and antiseptics in preventing the incidence of COVID-19 contraction; thus, people not wearing facemasks were at a higher risk of the viral infection.</cite>  </div> COVID-19,Gloves,Hand Hygiene,Masks,Viral Infection, 23 31 http://johe.rums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-464-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Amin Arasteh amin.arasteh1995@gmail.com 22400319475328460011803 22400319475328460011803 No Resident Student in Ophthalmology, Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Soroush Mostafavi so.mostafavi@gmail.com 22400319475328460011804 22400319475328460011804 No MD Student, Student Research Committee, Kidney Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Mohammad Mirza-Aghazadeh-Attari m.aghazadeh75@yahoo.com 22400319475328460011805 22400319475328460011805 No MD Student, Dept. of Radiology, Medical Radiation Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Mahasti Alizadeh alizadm@yahoo.com 22400319475328460011806 22400319475328460011806 No Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Dept. of Community and Family Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Seyedeh Mina Mostafavi Montazeri minamost26@gmail.com 22400319475328460011807 22400319475328460011807 No Resident Student in Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Development Center of Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Seyyedeh Mina Hejazian s.mina.hejazian@gmail.com 22400319475328460011808 22400319475328460011808 Yes MSc in Medical Biotechnology, Student Research Committee, Kidney Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Seyede Saba Mostafavi Montazeri* sabamst26@gmail.com 22400319475328460011809 22400319475328460011809 No MD Student, Student Research Committee, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. , sabamst26@gmail.com Alborz University of Medical Sciences