The Mask

The Mask

By Olivia Grout

It has been about 5 months since the world has been hit with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. The US, as a country, has gone through periods of isolation, lockdown, and self-quarantine. Many have been personally affected by the virus. 

Now, about 5 months in, states are beginning to re-open and many places are adapting to the “new normal”, and adjusting their lives, businesses, and work schedules to fit this new lifestyle. Part of this “new normal” is strict social distancing. According to the CDC, this includes things such as maintaining six feet of distance while standing in line or around others, sanitizing often, and most importantly wearing a mask. 

TIME

This concept of wearing a mask has not been the most popular among many crowds. The question is, why don’t people want to wear a mask? Some may say that the mask is hot, and is uncomfortable or it could cause trouble breathing. Others may argue that the mask is only there to protect others, and “if everyone else has a mask, why should I have one?”. 

Why is one necessary?

Here is why the mask is so important. In a short video posted by VanderBilt Health, they speak about how the mask is worn to protect others from yourself. Since there have been many asymptomatic people, the mask is to protect others in case you have the virus and you don’t even know. There is also evidence from the CDC that wearing a mask has helped reduce the spray of particles from the nose, mouth and throat. It is extremely crucial that everyone who can be wearing a mask should be. 

The CDC has an entire page dedicated to cloth face coverings and why they are important, the different types, and many more sections about how to wear a mask, how to wash it, even how to make your own mask. They directly say that the mask will most likely reduce the spread of COVID-19 “when they are widely used by people in public settings”. This means that many people, if not everyone, should be wearing a mask when they are going to places such as the mall, a grocery store, or even to a baseball game. 

What may happen if you don’t wear one?

In an article by Wired, they discuss how many governments around the world are beginning to adopt many new ways of surveillance to watch their people during this time of crisis. Using methods such as facial recognition and tracking, these governments will know exactly where everyone is at any given time. 

If people in the United States continue to ignore the CDC guidelines for social distancing and protocols, such as wearing a mask,  when you are in a public setting, we may have to deal with these types of security threats and that could cause an even bigger uproar then there has already been. 

Why doesn’t everyone wear one?

An article by RAND discussed the topic of a cure for the coronavirus and how immunizations will have to work, without obscuring human rights. This same idea of abusing human rights can be applied to the concept of wearing a mask. There are some situations where you simply cannot tell a person how to live their life, and you cannot force them to put on a mask in certain situations. Even in some places where a mask is required, there are people who will attempt to come in with no mask and make a scene about how the mask is a violation of their rights. 

Doctor Henry Redel, Chief of Infectious Disease at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, talked to Forbes and explained why nearly 45% of Americans refuse to wear the mask. Doctor Redel says that he believes that people are not ready for this cultural shift, and are used to being able to express their emotions through their face and communicate with others. While this is a valid point that is made, Doctor Redel says that this cultural  change needs to be made soon, for the benefit of the greater good. 

Leading by example

Another reason why people have not been wearing a mask could be because they see some government officials have not been. The concept of leading by example comes into play here. If the American people see someone, such as their president, not wearing a mask on a daily basis and when he goes out to other places, the American people are also not going to wear a mask. Why should they if the person telling them to isn’t even wearing one himself? 

CNN writes about a time in May when Trump went to a mask-making plant in Arizona and was photographed not wearing a mask, despite making claims that he was wearing one. This goes back to the concept of leading by example. In a situation like this, if there are photographs circulating of the president not wearing a mask while in close proximity of others, and the other people around him do not have on a mask, people will question the whole idea of wearing a mask. Why should I wear a mask if my own president is not?

CNN

The President is slowly starting to do a better job with wearing his mask in public, this stil does not make up for the many months that he did not wear one. 

Progress is being made

Yet, while some have done a not-so-great job with wearing a mask, some people have been doing an amazing job with wearing a mask and social distancing. Some states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and a few other states around the New England area, have been seeing a decrease in the number of new cases daily and have begun reopening their states in the transition to the new normal. States such as Massachusetts have begun their reopening through phases and currently are in phase 3!

By wearing a mask, the United States can begin to open up all at once rather than just state by state.

So please, wear a mask!