As the COVID-19 global pandemic wears on, there is a lot of confusion about whether one should wear a mask and what type of mask one should wear. The science is clear, unfortunately the communication has not been. For example, the WHO recently updated its guidance on wearing masks, maintaining the stance that everyone should wear masks, but saying that healthy people need only wear medical-grade masks, e.g., N95 masks, when working with someone in a vulnerable population, e.g., the elderly, diabetics, or people with compromised immune systems, and should wear non-medical masks when physical distancing cannot be guaranteed. Fox News failed to read the whole document and concludes healthy people do not need to wear any kind of mask. Before you are too harsh on Fox, the initial Washington Post article on the subject, which seems to no longer be available, was not much clearer. Their newer article, courtesy of Bloomberg News, is more clear.

To be fair, guidance on wearing masks has been evolving. But to be fair to those issuing the guidance, the early guidance was tempered by the massive shortage of available medical-grade masks. Not wanting to worsen mask shortages, the WHO and CDC did not suggest healthy people wear masks so the public would not start a run on masks, worsening the shortage for medical workers, who needed them desperately in the early days of the pandemic. When production of medical-grade masks began to catch up with demand, the CDC made these things clear:

  • Everyone should wear cloth masks when out in public and physical distancing cannot be guaranteed. So if you are going to a store or gas station or picking up takeout, wear a cloth mask. If you are taking a walk in your not-very-crowded neighborhood, you do not need to wear a mask as long as you maintain physical distancing from anyone else out and about.

  • If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should isolate and wear a medical mask.

  • When around someone who has COVID-19, wear a medical mask.

Why do the CDC and WHO recommend healthy people wear cloth masks? Because 30% or more of people who get COVID-19 are asymptomatic carriers. Despite not having symptoms, these carriers shed the virus when breathing, talking, singing, coughing, sneezing, etc. This means they expose everyone around them to COVID-19.

Of late there is a lot of talk about how people who wear masks are scared or not tough/strong/cool. Since wearing a cloth mask is about protecting the people around you, not yourself, it seems an odd, or at least ill-informed conclusion.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

The real irony is that the people who refuse to wear masks are often the same ones demanding a rapid reopening of the economy. If you want businesses to open and stay open, i.e., avoid a second peak of cases, you need physical distancing and cloth mask wearing. So stop being a tough guy, start thinking about others, help our economy, and wear a cloth mask in public.