All of you are aware of the state of the world at the moment. The coronavirus has ripped our daily lives right from our own very hands. Sadly, it might have even taken the life of someone who you know or were close too.   CDC Covid Data Tracker, as of February 4, 2021, there have been  26, 277,125 COVID cases in the United States. Around 450,000 of those cases resulting in the ending of someone’s life. COVID can take the life of anyone, especially those who are high risk. It’s a serious issue. 

I bet you are all familiar with your lovely classmate, Hailey Yeck. Her mom, Emily Yeck, a female role model who I respect highly has a lung disease called Pulmonary Hypertension. Because of this she is at high risk of the Coronavirus. As a result Hailey and her family have been extremely careful and have had to make some major life shifts to keep her safe. I have much respect for them for doing so. They also take the proper precautions when going into public to keep themselves and her safe. Precautions such as washing their hands for 20 seconds, staying social distanced, and wearing a mask.

Wearing a mask has become a heavily debated topic among the world due to the pandemic. Initially, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, The CDC, the Center for Disease Control,didn’t have much knowledge on the virus as it jumped out at them like the Greeks in the Trojan Horse at Troy. Because of their minute knowledge, they publicly announced that they didn’t see much need for wearing masks. Quickly after this statement, more research was gathered and the CDC contradicted their previous statement and now says that “Masks are an additional step to help prevent people from getting and spreading COVID-19 [and that they] They provide a barrier that keeps respiratory droplets from spreading.”(CDC)

There is no reason there should not be a mask mandate put into place. It should be required to wear a mask in all crowded public spaces, unless playing sports or in a socially distanced outside area. In an analysis done by a KHN writer, Elisbaeth Rosenthal, an example is given that in Rome in 2005, cigarettes were banned in restaurants. Mind that too Italians, cigarettes were like desert and were just a part of being social. Cigarettes to Italians is like social drinking to Irish.When this ban of cigarettes was put into place, many people didn’t like it, but still proceeded to follow the ban. Rosenthal makes the comment that, why can this be the same for masks? All you have to do is wear the mask for a short period of time, and it is keeping others and you safe, people such as mentioned before, Hailey's mom.

There are many people that oppose the wearing of masks because they argue that “masks mandates infringe on personal liberties and are constitutional”(Schichiano), as stated by Logan Schichiano, in his article,  “The Mystery of Mask Denial: Why Is It so Hard for Americans to Mask up to Save Lives?”. Do these people understand the seriousness of the coronavirus, especially in the US? As mentioned before, the Italians being kept from their after dinner treat, still followed the rule and refrained from it because if they were caught, it could result in an issue with the police. Rosenthal also brings up the example that drivers who speed on the highway, know they are breaking the law and know they have a chance of getting caught. Those who speed are also putting others and themselves at higher risk. This is the same for not wearing a mask.

People also make the argument that even if a mask mandate was put into place, people still wouldn’t follow it. Just like how wearing a seatbelt is a law, but some choose not to follow this, knowing there is a low chance of getting caught or socially judged for doing so. This is the opposite for not wearing a mask. In a report done by PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, in which an experiment was held for wearing and not wearing masks. Participants were to be put in an imaginary scenario where they were in the fruit section of their local grocery store. Randomly, participants were told if the people around them were wearing a mask or were maskless. Each particpinat was asked how they reacted to the scenario. Almost all participants stated that they perceived the people wearing masks ``as more prosocial”(Betsch) compared to the maskless ones. And although some people may not care what others think, first impressions of other people can be very important and not wearing a mask can be a hard first impression to forget.

Wearing a mask should be mandated. It will keep more people safe, and help stop the spread of the COVID disease. I ask of you, fellow students, please wear your mask so we can return to normal life as soon as possible.

Bibliography

Betsch, Cornelia, et al. “Social and Behavioral Consequences of Mask Policies during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 8 Sept. 2020, www.pnas.org/content/117/36/21851.

“CDC COVID Data Tracker.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home. 

Rosenthal, Elisabeth. “Analysis: We Follow Laws on Seat Belts and Smoking. Why Not on Masks?” Kaiser Health News, 5 Oct. 2020, khn.org/news/mask-mandates-hortatory-laws-public-compliance-to-curb-coronavirus/. 

Schiciano, Logan. “The Mystery of Mask Denial: Why Is It so Hard for Americans to Mask up to Save Lives?” Tower, 2 July 2020.