Help us discover who is masking and physical distancing to prevent COVID-19 spread.

Face coverings and physical distancing are vital components of the strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic. These tools limit the ability of infected persons to spread respiratory droplets that contain the virus.

Yet adherence to these proven strategies is uneven.  It has been estimated that at least 80% compliance is needed to reduce the spread of disease and associated mortality. In order to monitor adherence, we developed a data collection tool and protocol called Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD).

We designed SOMAD to specifically to capture the characteristics of individuals, thus making it possible to compare face covering and distancing by gender, age group, race/ethnicity, physical activity levels, and location.

Below, you can view a full description of the protocol, a presentation to be used for training, and links to the data collection tools.

We invite anyone concerned about the spread of COVID-19 to follow the protocol and collect data in their own communities to collaborate with us in this surveillance endeavor. We will send you the data you collect in an Excel file so you can analyze and disseminate it locally. This data may be useful to inform and guide local COVID-19 control measures.

View recent national results:

Also view:

Please feel free to contact Deborah.A.Cohen@kp.org if you have any questions, would like assistance with training, or would like to collaborate in these efforts.

Thanks for your interest!

This project is funded in part by NHLBI #R01HL145145.