COVID-19 infection linked to increased mask-wearing due to silent risk awareness

Researchers at The University of Osaka have found that individuals in Japan who have been infected with COVID-19 are more likely to wear masks than those who have not. In a four-year-long study, they discovered this change is not driven by fear, but by a heightened perception of the risk of "silent infection," the idea that one could be infected and spread the virus without knowing. This insight could reshape public health messaging for future pandemics. The study, "The impact of COVID-19 infection experience on risk perception and preventive behaviour: a cohort study," was published in Epidemiology & Infection.