One Way to Protect Ourselves from COVID-19

In this time where the number of COVID-19 cases are growing at an exponential rate we must find ways to protect ourselves so that we don’t get sick and in turn make everyone around us sick. One of the best ways to do that right now is using a mask or face shield. 

Face masks are essential as not only do they protect you from the virus, they also help protect others by reducing exposure to saliva and other respiratory secretions released by the mask wearer. Masks basically kill two birds with one stone as not only are you protected, but so are others around you. As the Mayo Clinic states, masks function by “protecting the wearer’s nose and mouth from contact with droplets, splashes and sprays that may contain germs.” Additionally they filter out large particles in the air further keeping the user protected from the virus. As outlined by the Mayo Clinic, a few pointers for putting on and taking of your maks are:

• Placing your mask around both your mouth and nose. If even one of them is exposed then you are at risk of contracting the virus.
• Not touching your mask while you are wearing it.
• If you touch your mask, wash or sanitize your hands immediately.
• Washing your hands immediately after taking off your mask.

If one simply follows all of these guidelines then they can significantly reduce their chances of getting infected. 

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), masks significantly reduce the spread of the virus and that other countermeasures such as social distancing are not nearly as effective as masks are. A study by PNAS showed that simply wearing face masks prevented over 78,000 infections in Italy between April 6 and May 9 and over 66,000 infections in New York City between April 17 and May 9. As the statistics show, wearing a mask can drastically decrease the rising number of cases with little to no effort on our part. 

While many states have taken the initiative and made masks mandatory, I believe that all states should implement this to make sure that the number of cases can finally start going back down again. No one is completely immune to the virus and to prevent any more casualties from occurring we must prevent the virus from spreading any further. Above all we must learn to have patience in these troubling times. If we had been a little more patient then the number of cases wouldn’t be rising at such a fast rate again. I get that it can be annoying to be stuck at home for so many months but it will ensure that we are not stuck at home longer than we need too. After all, the faster people start following all the precautions, the faster the number of cases will go down, and eventually leading the country to reopen faster.

Citations

“Can Face Masks Protect against the Coronavirus?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 17 July 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art-20485449.

Kim, Allen, et al. “These Are the States Requiring People to Wear Masks When out in Public.” CNN, Cable News Network, 17 July 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/us/states-face-mask-coronavirus-trnd/index.html.

Kim, Allen. “Best Way to Reduce Coronavirus Transmission Is by Wearing a Face Mask, Study Finds.” CNN, Cable News Network, 12 June 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/06/12/health/coronavirus-mask-wellness-trnd/index.html.

Zhang, Renyi, et al. “Identifying Airborne Transmission as the Dominant Route for the Spread of COVID-19.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 30 June 2020, www.pnas.org/content/117/26/14857.