Where is Jerry Seinfeld when you need him? While wearing a mask to potentially protect you or someone else from catching COVID during a pandemic, every time I hear people debating on whether someone should or should not wear a mask I can’t help but think back to that 1998 episode where Kramer refuses to wear an AIDS walk ribbon.
Back to the masks, some of my closest friends are completely against wearing a mask -but oblige when need be (such as where masks are required)- but believe that masks do nothing to prevent transmission of COVID and that they actually cause more health problems (both mentally and physically) than not wearing a mask. To add to the confusion is the flip flopping from government agencies such as the CDC and the WHO as to what works and what doesn’t.
Even worse? According to the Mayoclinic Masks like the N95 mask (with a valve to make breathing easer) expels unfiltered air which means while the person wearing the mask is mostly protected, should they have COVID 19 they will pass the virus around unfiltered as if they aren’t even wearing a mask.
Image via the LATIMES
Then there are cloth masks which even while worn right, don’t protect you or others the same way a surgical mask would -when worn correctly- as they don’t filter out large droplets as effectively.
Those against mask wearing also point to a situation where 3 teachers from Arizona that were wearing masks, gloves, socially distancing and using sanitizer all caught covid 19 with one of them dying.
Again, this goes back to what type of masks they were wearing, how they were wearing them and what else transpired in that classroom. For example if one of them had on an N95 with a valve (which releases unfiltered air) and the other two had on cloth masks (that minimally protect you from catching anything) then thats a recipe for a major problem which brings us to one of the most significant factors with any virus and and partially contributing to how sick someone gets and thats Viral Load.
Since a mask will most definitely grab onto at least some of the virus and saliva, if everyone is wearing a mask properly it will minimize viral load or how much of a virus you are exposed to. It is even being theorized that with everyone wearing masks that you will be exposed to the virus but just enough to possibly build some immunity but hopefully not enough to get you sick -or if you do get sick, since the amount of viral load you are exposed to is lower -that your illness won’t be quite as severe-.
While I understand that wearing a mask has some grey areas (and is particularly disturbing when seeing your child short of breath while wearing one) since studies have shown that masks could REDUCE your risk of getting or spreading COVID, its more than likely a benefit for you to wear one than not. How do you feel about wearing a mask? Do you think it will help reduce viral load and therefore reduce your chances of catching or developing severe COVID? Vote below!