There’s a proven, effective way to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. So, what’s the problem?
BY: MARY WILSON
Opinions Editor
My pre-2020 self wouldn’t have believed that the very existence of a deadly virus, and how to control it, would be the next polarizing topic in American society.
Perhaps I’m too much of an optimist. I’m only 22, but I’ve seen countless divisive issues sweep through our country in my lifetime. We’ve seen the issues of gun violence and gun control divide our nation. (One might think that things would change after a classroom of kindergartners and their teachers were slaughtered using a military-level weapon, but there have been no changes since.) We’ve seen the topic of marriage equality tear us apart until the US Supreme Court finally said that gay people could get married, too. Divisive topics that aren’t divisive in other industrialized countries are common here, and we as Americans have gotten complacent with the rift in our country.
So when COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel Coronavirus, started to make the news as it affected people in China, I thought that our government would control it before it got to bad levels here. I thought it would be like the SARS virus–it would be bad in China, but it wouldn’t get too bad here. I wasn’t too worried. Even though I don’t agree with Trump on anything, I still believed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would intervene.
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Missouri was sometime in March. It’s now August, and cases in the United States are still skyrocketing.
Even when the nation’s top scientists and health officials tell us that there is a proven, safe, inexpensive and effective way to slow the transmission of the coronavirus, we’re divided. As we rush towards the next presidential election, wearing a mask or face covering seems to be a way to tell if someone is a Democrat or Republican. Or if someone believes in science or not.
I know: in the beginning of the pandemic, the CDC advised that we probably didn’t need to wear face masks or coverings. Then scientists started to do studies on the efficacy of mask wearing, and the CDC revised its position. The CDC looked at the evolving science and issued a different recommendation.
In a world with misinformation and pseudoscience theories—does hydroxychloroquine treat COVID-19? Is injecting disinfectant into the body safe?– one thing is clear: mask wearing is effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
For those that don’t know, COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets. In other words, it’s spread from person to person by activities like coughing, sneezing, and even talking or singing. The CDC reports that the incubation period of COVID-19 (the time it takes for an infected person to show symptoms of a disease) ranges from 2-14 days. In other words, a person could get infected, feel fine and continue doing their daily activities, all while spreading the virus to people they come in contact with. When they start to feel sick, they’ve already infected other people, who have infected others, and so on.
Cloth face coverings (even as simple as ones made from two layers of t-shirt fabric), when worn correctly—meaning that it completely covers the wearer’s nose AND mouth—slow the spread. Respiratory droplets don’t spread as easily through the fabric. When everyone wears a mask and stays the recommended six feet away from other people, transmission is lowered. That means that less people get infected, and fewer people get sick and die. The strain on healthcare systems is reduced. Hospital workers won’t have to worry as much about not having adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 80% of COVID-19 infections are “mild or asymptomatic.” In other words, people can be infected and spread COVID-19 without even realizing they’re sick. This is especially dangerous, and a huge reason why mask-wearing is essential.
I know that this is scary. I know it can be a pain to remember to grab a mask whenever going out. I know that this pandemic seems to be dragging on and on. I know that it’s easier to not wear a mask.
I also know that since the start of the pandemic this past February, over 181,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Maybe you know one of them. Odds are you know someone who’s been infected. Maybe you have a loved one in a nursing home or long-term care facility and can’t visit them. You probably know someone with an underlying health condition who is especially susceptible to the effects of COVID-19. Maybe your kids’ school or daycare is shut down or doing virtual learning, or instead of going to the office, you work from home.
This pandemic has been tough on everyone. There’s a proven way to slow the spread and save lives.
Please, please, please: wear a mask.
