Walking around Boston, I couldn’t help but realize that many people were still not wearing masks despite all the campaigns and posters around the city detailing the importance of face coverings in public. Here are 5 reasons why face coverings or masks must be worn:
1. Protect Yourself
Towards the beginning of the pandemic, we were told by the government to not wear masks, deeming them ineffective. Due to this, many people still doubt the effectiveness of masks. An experiment by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that face coverings blocked nearly all droplets from 20 to 500 micrometers in diameter. Imagine inhaling all of those droplets. I don’t know about you, but that in itself makes me sick!
2. Protect Others
Cough droplets can reach up to 12 feet, according to Life Science. To put this into perspective, if you were to lay down two Harry Styles, that’s the distance droplets can reach. If you happen to have COVID-19 and not know it, you could be infecting people two Harry Styles away.
3. Prevents You from Touching Your Face
Did you know that you touch your face about 16 times in one hour? Well, imagine all the germs you are rubbing on your face when you do. Now, imagine those germs are Corona. It is really THAT easy to be infected. Since masks cover more than half our faces, it is harder to touch our faces and it gives us a friendly reminder to get those germ-infested hands off your face. Remember, wash your hands and don’t skimp on the hand sanitizers!
4. Paves the Road back to ‘Normal’
In no way do I personally think we will be back to the ‘normal’ we knew, but we can get as close to it as possible! We now know all too well about cough droplets and how we can protect ourselves and others from any airborne disease, so I predict that wearing masks will be much more common now. However, we will be able to see the day where restaurants are open for indoor dining without the 6 feet distance. That is, if we all collaborate and wear masks!!
5. It’s Not That Hard…
I have listed a couple of benefits of wearing masks… but it’s really not that hard. Of course, for those who are told by medical professionals not to wear masks, it is an exception. But in all honesty, is it really that hard to wear a mask in public for yours and others’ safety? You will get used to it. I know I already have! It feels even more awkward for me to walk outside without a mask! Think of it as another article of clothing. In the winter months, we all wear parkas, scarves, and gloves. It is no different. Just wear a mask.
What do you think? What are your reasons for wearing masks?
