Poll: Face mask use in U.S. rises to more than 60 percent

Firefighter Mark Nagel wears a protective mask while on a call Wednesday in St. Louis, Mo. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

April 17 (UPI) -- The use of face masks by U.S. residents rose dramatically in one week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended them in public, a new survey showed Friday.

Gallup said it found face mask use increased from 38 percent before the CDC advice to 62 percent the week after. Another 24 percent said they are now considering wearing a mask outside the home, while 14 percent said they would not.

Seventy-one percent of people living in cities and 72 percent living in the West said they're wearing masks in public.

Those less likely to wear them are those in the Midwest (46 percent), Republicans (48 percent) and those living in small towns or rural areas (52 percent), the poll said.

"Those in the Western and Northeastern regions of the U.S. where the outbreaks have been worst are significantly more likely than those in the Midwest and South to have donned face coverings in public," Gallup's Megan Brenan said. "Likewise, residents of cities and suburbs are more likely than those in more rural areas to have worn masks."

Gallup interviewed 2,400 adults for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points

THE NUMBER GALLUP INTERVIEWED IS GREATER THAN THE PROTESTERS 

AT STATE CAPITALS PROTESTING THE LOCK DOWN.