The use of face masks is one of the preventive measures that Mozambique adopted in order to limit the spread of COVID A study carried out from May 25 to June 6, found that although many wore masks, incorrect use was observed in This data collection aimed to measure the degree of mask use compliance during a more protracted, higher second wave of transmission. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the City of Maputo from 19 to 28 October through direct observation of mask use of all individuals present in markets, supermarkets and bus terminals.
Sociodemographic characteristics, mask use, and type of mask used were documented. Factors associated with incorrect mask use were evaluated considering sex, age, observation period and location. A total of 49, individuals were observed, of whom 24, An observed 41, Not covering the mouth and nose was common; observed in 4, Of different types of masks, fabric masks were most often used incorrectly 7, A high proportion of observed individuals wore a mask in the context of prevention of COVID, however some non-use and incorrect use persists.
Intensified public awareness of the correct use of the mask is recommended, especially in peri-urban areas and at the end of the day. This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose.
The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.
The outbreak spread quickly, with an increasing number of cases reported worldwide [ 2 ]. More than ,, COVID confirmed cases and 5,, deaths worldwide were reported by the end of , of which more than , confirmed cases and , deaths were reported in Africa [ 3 ]. In Mozambique, the first case of COVID was registered on March 22, and by October 30 the same year there were 12, confirmed cases and 91 deaths registered [ 4 ].
