There’s
still a lot to learn about the virus, and opinions on masks have varied. But
for the record, the CDC currently recommends wearing cloth face coverings in
public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to
maintain.
Many
studies have tested surgical masks and N95 masks and found that they reduce
viral spread, but until now, there hasn’t been much evidence that
cloth masks also work. Cloth masks aren’t great at protecting the wearer but
even the lowest efficiency mask, “is still better than nothing,”
- On the other hand, Americans are defying these orders despite evidence that suggests that widespread use of face masks can greatly limit the transmission of the coronavirus, which is believed to occur mainly from respiratory droplets.
So why
are we at war over masks? Turns out, face coverings have been controversial in
the U.S. for more than a century, When it comes to public health, experience
has shown a light touch is most effective in persuading Americans to wear them.
1- Some people rebel against the idea of wearing a face covering because they don’t like being told what to do, For them, “wearing a mask is a violation of individual freedom, and so not wearing a mask becomes a symbol of individualism.”
2- It
may go beyond politics. In times of heightened uncertainty, humans tend to seek
a sense of belonging. That cuts both ways. Those who don’t wear masks may feel
a sense of solidarity, and those that do likely regard it “as an act of
altruism and a way of helping each other out.
3-
Pence violated the standards of the famed the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and did
not wear one during an April visit when he met with staff and patients. A week
after Pence’s visit he acknowledged he’d
made a mistake by visiting patients without a mask.
People
look at Pence at the Mayo Clinic and say: “Well, he’s in a hospital and didn’t
wear a mask, so why should I?’
4- It
may be a reaction or overreaction to authority. There’s a certain bravado of
being angry and defying requirements to wear a mask.
5- The problem with “'I’m young, I’m healthy, I don’t care if I get infected,’ is that even with mild or no symptoms, young, healthy people can be a very important part of the chain of transmission to other people of all different ages,”
6- Some
people say that "I’m not going to get ill from the coronavirus, so why
wear a mask, or even if I do, it won’t be that severe."
7- There
are also superficial reasons, like it’s embarrassing to wear one or “people
can’t see me when I smile.
At last, Some feel face coverings infringe on their freedom of choice but if more wear them, we’ll have more freedom to go out.
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