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Masked faces have become commonplace in today’s society. Everywhere you look, you will see a lot of people with their mouths covered by masks of different kinds. What are the pros and cons of wearing masks?
Pros:
According to the CDC guidelines, masks are an effective form of source control - preventing respiratory droplets from being communicated between people. Given that COVID-19 has been shown to spread mainly via respiratory droplets, wearing a mask is an effective prevention strategy. In other words, everyday masks don’t do much to protect the person wearing them, but do a great job of stopping that person from spreading the virus if they have it.
According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, many tens of thousands of deaths (almost 30,000 deaths) could be avoided in the U.S. by October 1st were 95% of the nation to commit to wearing masks.
From a personal perspective, wearing masks allows people to enjoy the outdoors without putting others at risk.
Cons:
Just like almost everything in life, there are some concerns around wearing masks. Depending on each person’s comfort level and tolerance, a mask can grow to become uncomfortable, sweaty, and hot. For people who wear glasses, many masks will cause fogging that can be bothersome. Masks can also cause acne to spread across the wearer’s face (aka maskne). It’s also impossible to eat while wearing a mask, so social distancing and outdoor dining is still necessary during meals.
While we are all free to make our own decisions, we should keep in mind that, according to expert research, wearing masks can save lives. Experiencing these smaller discomforts may be necessary to prevent further deaths by the coronavirus in the future.
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