The Politics of a Face Mask, Katelyn Kling

COVID-19 has changed people’s lifestyles globally. In the United States, a big change is the normalization of wearing face masks. Masks have been proven effective by the CDC in preventing the spread of coronavirus, yet there are people who oppose wearing them. There are countries, like China, where face masks are worn normally even before COVID-19, yet in the U.S. there have been protests against the use of them. When analyzing the U.S.’s approach to the outbreak, governmental influences can be revealed to show why some are resistant to wearing face masks in public.

Back in March of 2020, the CDC claimed that face masks were not effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. When considering why health officials would have made this claim early on, it can be seen that “the reasons for a policy may have to do with practical considerations like the national supply of masks” (Jingnan). Many people were hoarding medical masks. Hospitals were running low on supplies, so making the claim that masks were ineffective was the CDC’s attempt to get the public to stop hoarding them. Though there was reason behind these claims, the original statement to this day may still resonate with people who refuse to wear a face mask, showing how false information can have lasting negative effects on a crisis such as COVID-19.

Though health officials now promote the use of face masks, leadership within the U.S government remains contradictory. The Washington Post created a list of phrases that President Donald Trump has said over the course of the COVID-19 outbreak such as masks being a “double-edged sword” and “‘You know, there was a time when people thought it was worse wearing a mask. I let people make up their own decision’” (Blake). Trump has been spotted only now in July of 2020 wearing a mask, yet he still claims that he will not force American citizens to wear them in public. Having the president not promote masks frequently gives the false notion that COVID-19 is not actually a threat to them.

In the end, research has shown that masks not only protect the wearer, but also protects the wearer from spreading the virus to other people (Godoy). The issue in the United States is that COVID-19 has become a political opinion, and people are more concerned about masks infringing on their Constitutional rights rather than wearing them to keep themselves and others safe.

Works Cited

Blake, Aaron. “Analysis | Trump’s Dumbfounding Refusal to Encourage Wearing Masks.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 June 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/25/trumps-dumbfounding-refusal-encourage-wearing-masks/. 

Board, The Editorial. “Editorial: Hidalgo’s Mask Order Isn’t ‘Draconian’ – or New in Texas.” HoustonChronicle.com, Houston Chronicle, 28 Apr. 2020, www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-Hidalgo-s-mask-order-isn-t-15230105.php. 

“COVID-19: Considerations for Wearing Cloth Face Coverings.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 June 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html.

Godoy, Maria. “Yes, Wearing Masks Helps. Here’s Why.” NPR, NPR, 21 June 2020, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/21/880832213/yes-wearing-masks-helps-heres-why. 

Jingnan, Huo. “Why There Are So Many Different Guidelines For Face Masks For The Public.” NPR, NPR, 10 Apr. 2020, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/10/829890635/why-there-so-many-different-guidelines-for-face-masks-for-the-public.