Participant Responsibilities
Face Mask and Hand Hygiene: Participants in the Face Mask and Hand Hygiene group are responsible for wearing the provided face masks when in their residence hall, for a minimum of six hours per day. While we encourage you to wear your face masks all the time, you are not required to wear the mask outside of your residence hall. When you are in the residence hall but doing something that precludes donning the face mask - like eating - you are expected to store the mask safely in the provided storage bags. Likewise, when you've finished using the face mask, we ask that you seal it in the provided storage bag before throwing it in the trash. Once the study starts, you are expected to continue wearing the face masks for 6 weeks.
Remember to:
- Use a clean mask and bag every day
- Place the mask over your nose and chin (the knots face in) and pull the elastic bands behind your ears
- Pull the mask down under your chin, spreading the pleats
- Squeeze the wire band across nose
- Adjust the mask for fit and comfort
- Store in plastic bag when not wearing
- Dispose in plastic bag in waste receptacle at the end of the day
You are also expected to utilize the provided hand sanitizer to clean your hands, as instructed in the educational video you watched online and described in the instructions that came with the hand sanitizer. When you use the hand sanitizer, remember to cover all surfaces of hands and fingers, including around/under fingernails, and continue rubbing your hands vigorously until the alcohol dries. If you applied the right amount, it should take at least 10-15 seconds before your hands are dry.
In addition to wearing the provided face masks and using the provided hand sanitizer, you are responsible for completing all weekly online surveys as well as baseline and exit surveys. And remember, it's important that you complete all online surveys, and that you do so as honestly and accurately as possible. Collecting accurate information is essential if we are to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of these non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Although you are only expected to wear the face masks for 6 weeks, once the study starts, you are expected to use the provided hand sanitizer and complete weekly online surveys for 8 weeks. That means that once you've finished wearing the face masks, you keep using the hand sanitizer and completing online surveys for an additional 2 weeks.
Also, please remember that you - and all participants - are responsible for making your residence hall a safe and supportive environment for all participants, including those wearing face masks and using hand sanitizer like you. We need everyone's help to make participating in M-FLU as fun, stress-free and successful as possible!


As global citizens, we all have a responsibility to protect and
maintain public health. Participants in the M-FLU Study are responding
to the call for responsible global citizenship by contributing to research that
may ultimately help guide the development of national policies for pandemic preparedness.
M-FLU Study participants work to make the US and the
world a safer, healthier place for us all.