The ongoing worldwide pandemic has affected how we live our lives to the point that some people don’t trust health officials. Do we or do we not have to wear a mask? That is the question.
The Current Situation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from the United States recommend that everybody wears masks when they go out in public to flatten the COVID-19 spread curve.
However, as lockdowns started getting lifted, few people managed to follow the advice, which provoked a serious rise in the number of infections in some areas.
Some states like California observed the rise and imposed wearing face masks in public.
However, other states like Nebraska blocked city- and country-level efforts to impose wearing masks in public.
Other states found a middle ground by suggesting (but not imposing) wearing face masks.
Some people protested against wearing masks. They feel like their personal freedoms were infringed because they had to cover their noses and mouths.
Scientists analyzed the subject and collected enough data to clarify the situation once and for all.
Science To The Rescue
Science News analyzed the data and interviewed experts about how efficient the masks are against the novel coronavirus.
There are several reasons why masks are recommended by health experts.
In contrast to the beginning of the pandemic, researchers now know that the virus is mainly transmitted via airborne means.
Scientists have concluded that wearing a mask decreases the risk of passing the virus to someone else if you’re infected and don’t know. If both an infected person and an uninfected one wear masks, the risk of spreading the virus is extremely slim, though it still exists.
It’s crucial that you were a mask to protect yourself and others. Researchers from Singapore discovered that nearly one out of two COVID-19 cases from January 23 to February 26 were provoked by citizens who weren’t manifesting symptoms yet.
