It’s not a political statement…it’s an IQ test!
The evidence is clear: wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of Coronavirus. The more people wearing masks during this pandemic, the better it is for everyone.
SCIENCE SAYS…
With both pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission possible, studies have found that viral load peaks in the days before symptoms begin and that just speaking (not to mention coughing, sneezing or shouting) is enough to expel virus-carrying droplets and, droplets carrying the virus can travel up to 20 feet.
Laboratory studies of respiratory droplets show an ability of masks to block them. One example using high-speed video found hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered. From an epidemiologic perspective, a recent study compared the COVID-19 growth rate before and after mask mandates in 15 states and found that mask mandates led to a slowdown in daily COVID-19 growth rate.
What’s the payoff? Wearing masks would do more to reduce COVID-19 spread than a strict lockdown. The latest forecast from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that 33,000 deaths could be avoided by October 2020 if 95% of people wore masks in public. [Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind]
COMMON SENSE SAYS…
While there’s been mixed messaging around masks, at first they said no, now they say yes. It’s clear that the global scientific community agrees that wearing a mask is crucial to battling the spread COVID-19.
Here are 6 common sense reasons to wear a mask:
- Masks saved us in previous pandemics
- Masks will help get the economy back on track
- Masks are a defense against lousy social distancing
- While annoying to clean, masks can be sterilized in a microwave
- Bad ventilation forces you to breathe air with airborne viruses
- You don’t want to kill other people, right?
Individuals can be contagious with coronavirus for up to 72 hours before symptoms…you think you’re well, until you’re not. During that time, you can make dozens of other people sick. Wearing a mask protects people around you. [Best Arguments for Wearing a Mask]
One infectious disease specialist recommends the ‘Three Ws” to prevent the spread of COVID-19: wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. Of the three, the most important is wearing a mask!