The Next 3 Months: How Wearing a Mask Can Improve the Current Covid-19 Situation
According to Nature Medicine’s latest research, nearly 130,000 people can be saved between now and March 1st if 95% of people in the US wore a mask. As of December 2, 2020 there has been an average of 175,000 cases per day, more than 260,000 deaths and more than 11 million citizens testing positive for Covid-19. The Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington predicts that the total Covid-19 death toll could surpass 470,000 by March 1st if current masking trends continue.
U.S Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams pleaded on Twitter: “We are at war with this virus” as he urged his followers to engage in mask wearing. The CDC states that wearing a mask not only protects you, but protects everyone around you as well. Masking also provides an economical benefit. There is additional economic benefit from the added market of mask selling and by wearing a mask, if you choose to go out, you protect yourself and others from contracting the virus, thus preventing another lockdown and keeping business open. Preventing a lockdown removes the risk of losing up to $1 Trillion in losses. Most importantly, if even as little as 85% of people wear masks, upwards of 96,000 deaths could be prevented. All of these consequences are preventable, however the most ideal would be to bring the number of those masking up to 95%.
Remember that cloth masks and N-95 masks are the best at preventing the spread of the virus. An N-95 mask can protect you from droplets less than 5 microns in size and a cloth mask protects you from the standard droplet size between 5–10 microns. UCLA reports that an uncovered cough alone can spread droplets over 6 feet away — a standard cloth mask reduces the distance 77% and surgical grade masks and disposable masks reduce up to 90%. Plastic face shields do little to protect against airborne particles both from the wearer and those surrounding them, unless paired with a mask; plastic face shields have gaps which allow droplets to escape and enter.
Currently the national average for mask wearing is at 67%, this is mainly due to the fact that mask wearing has become a political statement rather than a preventative measure. Psychologically, this phenomenon can be studied, Aas people become more targeted and challenged on their beliefs surrounding masking, they become more immovable in their opinion. Dr. William Schaffner knows that establishing trust through a science and public based approach will be difficult but it is possible with the incoming Biden administration’s plans to work with governors and mayors across the country to encourage mask wearing.
By looking at countries like New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China, we can see how effective masking is, as they have the lowest number of cases in the world while also having the highest rates of mask wearing and preventative measures in place.
Cooperation, belief in science, and proper education remain the best actions against fighting Covid-19
