Wearing a Mask During COVID-19 Pandemic
Photo by: gryffyn m at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guyinmask.jpg

Many people are debating the merits of wearing a mask or face covering at a time when COVID-19 numbers are rising in many areas of the United States and beyond. Countries with much better numbers than those in the United States tended to test everyone early, quarantine appropriately, and had everyone to wear masks.

For simplicity I'm using the term mask in this article, but face coverings can include other things such as a face shield. If not wearing masks is associated with higher infection and death rates, let's look at the risks of not wearing one.

If you are trying to get COVID-19 to speed herd immunity or because you think medications will run out or because you think you won't get seriously ill or because you think this whole thing is a hoax, please take a few minutes to read the following carefully and consider the consequences:

· Herd immunity may be impossible. Some people seem to have gotten COVID-19 more than once already. If immunity after infection only lasts 2 or 3 months, herd immunity will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

· If case numbers remain high, businesses are likely to close or remain closed. Wearing a mask may help protect our economy.

· If case numbers remain high, schools are more likely to utilize remote learning, creating a larger gap in those who have fewer resources. Wearing a mask may help our educational system and protect our children's and their family's health.

· Some areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases are having significantly higher numbers of lethal heart attacks and strokes due to a variety of reasons.

· Some who tested positive continue to test positive for many weeks. Although they probably are not infectious after a certain amount of time, these people may be refused entry to a job site or campus until we know more.

· Currently, there is no clear consensus on effective treatment. Do you want to risk having a serious, potentially lethal illness when there are so many unanswered questions related to treatment?

· At this time, the majority of people hospitalized or in other facilities with COVID-19 infections are fighting the infection while separated from family and significant others because we don't completely understand how the virus is spread or which treatments work best for the infection or have adequate personal protective equipment. Having a family member or significant other at the bedside can sometimes mean the difference between life or death.

· Asymptomatic people can spread the virus that causes COVID-19. People who refuse to wear masks in public, enclosed spaces are placing high risk people in grave danger because those at high risk cannot control the actions of others sharing that space. Masks worn in the community are more about protecting those around you from being exposed and decreasing the viral load, which can make a difference in the severity of the infection.

· Some infection survivors are experiencing significant long-term effects that require many months of therapy with no guarantee that they will ever achieve their previous health status. Just because someone survived doesn't mean they aren't experiencing significant morbidity. As we learn more about the virus and how it works, we may find better ways to prevent some of these long-term effects.

· There is a shortage of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in many places at this time. Many healthcare workers and other employees are having to re-use protective equipment intended for single use. Some are having to wear inferior protective equipment when caring for patients and serving people in the community because adequate supplies are simply not available. Think about the risk to employees, healthcare workers, and other patients in the facility.

· If you think this infection is simply a hoax, you probably won't think that if and when the infection affects someone you know and love. Perhaps you could speak with people who have experienced it first-hand to learn more.

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