Opinion: Wearing a Mask During The Pandemic Should Be a Mandated Law By John Molisse

By John Molisse

It’s hardly news to most people that wearing a face mask is one of the easiest ways to help protect one’s self from COVID-19. Despite this, many still seem hesitant, or downright hostile, towards the suggestion of wearing a mask. Reasons can range from ludicrous, like masks causing the disease, to more reasonable, like forcing people to wear them being a violation of free speech. However, considering how wearing a mask primarily puts other people in danger, it seems that making mask-wearing mandatory by law is the only real method to ensure people follow through with it.

For those unaware, here are the basic facts about how wearing masks helps with COVID-19 prevention: Masks primarily prevent germs and bacteria that can cause COVID-19, or other illnesses, from infecting other people. (Center For Disease Control and Prevention) Masks prevent other people from catching the virus, but they do not necessarily prevent you from catching it yourself. In the past, you may have visited hospitals or other medical facilities where someone who is sick is required to wear a mask, but not other people. This is the primary reason as to why this is. Masks prevent the spread from occurring, they don’t protect you from it.

Now, even if you don’t feel sick or have any symptoms, it is entirely possible that you may be asymptomatic, or lacking in symptoms, at the moment. People who catch the cold from someone else sneezing on them don’t typically immediately start sneezing all over the place as well. It takes some time for the bug to do its work. The same holds true for COVID-19.

(State of Michigan)

The best way to prevent infecting others while being asymptomatic is by wearing a mask. Even if you don’t show symptoms of the virus, you can still cause others who breathe in near you to get sick from your germs. (Bai) But no matter what, the only way to make sure as many people as possible wear a mask is by making it mandatory by law. People don’t like to be told what to do, and clearing asking kindly is not going to change their views. But people will be more likely to follow the law than a suggestion, and this most certainly is a necessity for the time being.

Bibliography

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

Bai, Nina. “Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus.” Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus | UC San Francisco, 2020, www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent

Michigan.gov, State Of Michigan. “Mask Up, Michigan.” Coronavirus – Mask Up, Michigan, State of Michigan, 2020, www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-100997_100998—,00.html