Mask Up Everybody!

By Robin G. Jordan

I have touched on this subject in several articles—the importance of wearing a face mask as a public health measure to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. With the United States recording close to 50, 000 COVID-19 cases in a single day, it has become a topic of utmost urgency. A growing body of evidence shows that face masks provide a measure of protection against the inhalation of airborne virus particles. Most importantly they reduce the exhalation of these particles. When they are used properly in combination with other precautionary measures like social distancing as one of a number of “layers of intervention,” they can help prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Objections to wearing a face mask range from being an infringement of an individual’s rights to being unmanly and a sign of weakness to being dangerous to the wearer’s health. The underlying reasons is more than likely that the individual who is objecting to wearing a face mask simply does not want to wear one and is looking for an excuse not to do so. Wearing a face mask is not something that he or she is accustomed to doing. People do not like to make what they perceive rightly or wrongly as unnecessary changes in their lives. Insisting that they must do so will elicit rebellion, the kind of rebellion observed in two- or three-year-old children when their parents make demands upon them for more socially adaptive behavior. It is also observed in teenagers when they recycle through that developmental stage. Individuals refusing to wear a face mask may object strenuously, even becoming angry, if it is drawn to their attention that they are acting like a little kid but that is what they are doing.

You can search the fine print of the US Constitution but you will find nothing guaranteeing the right of the individual to endanger himself or his fellow citizens. The US Constitution does not guarantee the right of individuals to do as they please, or as the Bible puts it, to do what is right in their own eyes. In fact, the Bible emphasizes how displeasing it was to God when the kings of Israel and Judea ignored his commandments and did what was right in their own eyes. On the other hand, federal, state, and local governments are recognized as having broad powers in the event of a public emergency such as a pandemic to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and well-being of US citizens and foreign citizens resident in the United States.

The legal definition of a reasonable step is any step that a reasonable person would take under the same or similar circumstances. This includes steps like mandating the wearing of face masks and requiring social distancing. Under this definition an individual who refuses to wear a face mask when wearing the face mask would protect him and others from the transmission of an infectious disease is acting unreasonably. He is a danger to himself and to others.

Manliness may be defined as the possession of the good qualities traditionally associated with men. The qualities will vary with the prevailing culture. In a multicultural society like that of the United States what are considered these qualities will be determined by the dominant culture in a locality and by the various subcultures in the same locality. Historically men have worn face masks and coverings for a variety of reasons. Cowboys wore bandanas over their mouths and noses to keep from inhaling the dust that the cattle they were driving stirred up. Wearing a face mask or a respirator while working is a common practice in a number of occupations. Workers who do not wear them are viewed as taking unnecessary risks and jeopardizing their own health. They are not regarded as stronger or more courageous than their coworkers. They are more likely viewed as inexperienced or greatly lacking intelligence or common sense. In some parts of the world for men to cover their faces is a tradition that goes back many centuries. It is even a sign of male status. In reality, the argument that it is unmanly to wear a face mask is spurious.

The claims that wearing a face mask can endanger the health of the wearer are unsubstantiated and have been repeatedly debunked. But like other health myths they persist due to small vocal group of people on social media who devote much of their waking hours to the dissemination of misinformation and fudged facts. They themselves may not realize that that they are spreading inaccurate and false information. They may see themselves as on a crusade to edify the public to the truth about face masks. Contrary to what they may believe, however, they are doing a disservice to their community and their nation.

In recent days top Republicans have been urging President Trump to wear a face mask in public and set an example for the rest of the nation. Because the president does not wear a face mask, many of his supporters refuse to wear a face mask, endangering themselves and others. They are making a political statement out of not wearing a face mask. However, as President Trump himself mentioned in a recent interview on Fox News, one of the reasons that he does not wear a face mask is all of the precautions that those around him take to protect him from infection with the virus. His supporters do not enjoy the same levels of protection that he enjoys. They are placing themselves and others at serious risk in refusing to wear a face mask.

Only a small number of people who have pre-existing medical conditions, physical or psychological, are unable to wear a face mask. They may suffer from a chronic respiratory disease and experience difficulty in breathing when wearing a face mask. They may have had a traumatic experience which results in anxiety and fear of phobic proportions and related breathing difficulties when they wear a face mask. Some individuals with intellectual disabilities are also unable to wear face masks. Face masks are also not recommended for children two years of age or younger due to the risk of suffocation.

As far as church services and gatherings are concerned, face masks for maximum effectiveness should be worn at all times. Other precautionary measures such as social distancing, decontamination of surfaces, hand washing, avoidance of physical contact, moratoriums on choral and congregational singing and corporate recitation, and proper ventilation should also observed. Wearing a face mask should not be used as a substitute for these measures but should be used as one of a number of “layers of intervention” to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Below you will find links to a number of articles on wearing face masks. Some may contain duplicate information but offer details that were not included in other articles.

Seeing is Believing: The Effectiveness of Face Masks
Face masks critical in preventing spread of COVID-19
Visualization shows exactly how face masks stop COVID-19 transmission
Scientists test which face covering style best protects against the coronavirus
Doctor demonstrates how face mask blocks respiratory droplets from spreading
What Kind Of Mask Works Best Against Covid-19?
New Paper Shows Why Face Masks Are Essential In Curbing Covid-19
COVID-19: How much protection do face masks offer?