Due to the worldwide pandemic, there has been a ton of debate on what we can do to prevent the spread. Obviously, people decided quarantining would be the best option, and they would work from home. However, not everyone has that luxury. So how can we prevent the spread of the virus if people are forced to go out? 

The CDC recommends masks. By now, we all know that in order to go to restaurants, stores, and even school, you have to wear a mask. However people still ask the question; Why do I need to wear a mask? I’m going to answer that for them.

The number one reason I wear a mask is because I don’t want others to get sick. During this time of uncertainty, it’s important to realize what this pandemic is doing to people. Some have lost their jobs, their family members, some have even lost a lot of their own happiness. So the last thing they need is to get sick, especially with a virus that we are uneducated about. With new symptoms and long term effects coming out everyday, we just don’t know the severity of it. 

The second reason I wear a mask is because I don’t want to get sick. That may be obvious to some people but because there are people out there who don’t believe in masks, I thought I should say it. The University of California: San Francisco, wrote an article about the science behind masks and their reliability.

“Those [countries] with cultural norms or government policies favoring mask-wearing had lower death rates”. 

This proves that there is a direct correlation between wearing a mask and the amount of people dying or getting sick.

The final reason I wear a mask is to be respectful to others. When in line in a drive through, inside a store, or out in public near others, I make sure I have one on. It doesn’t matter if it’s necessary or not, it’s respectful. People who work at restaurants and stores do not have the option not to go out. They work in a high risk environment and the least we could do to respect them is wear a mask.

So whether or not you believe the mask works, wearing one will show that you respect others and hopefully keep you from getting sick.