To mask or not to mask. This shouldn’t even be a question

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With over 40,000 new coronavirus positive cases reported on March 20, India is witnessing a fresh spike in Covid cases. The sudden surge in cases reminds us what transpired last year. Yes, it has been one year since we all were locked up in our homes to arrest the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

Have we become lenient in the fight against the virus? Why is there a surge in cases? Why have we stopped wearing masks?

The vaccine drive in India is gaining steam but that certainly does not signal the end of public health precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people must wear masks in public settings, at events and gatherings, and anywhere they will be around other people. Masks are an additional step to help prevent people from getting and spreading COVID-19. They provide a barrier that keeps respiratory droplets from spreading.

Read carefully, it is an additional step. Not the only step. We must still continue washing our hands regularly, sanitise surfaces and maintain social distancing.

Many people say wearing a mask is uncomfortable. One can be encouraged to wear masks at home for short periods and then develop a habit of wearing them for a longer duration. Many say not wearing a mask is their personal choice. But wearing a mask is a public safety issue.

As we’ve seen throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the most common way COVID-19 spreads is through person-to-person contact. When you cough, sneeze or talk, respiratory droplets travel about six feet and can land in the mouths or noses of those nearby.

There is enough evidence to support the efficacy of masks. An experiment shows how droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers are generated while talking, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a washcloth.

Agreed, wearing a mask all day is uncomfortable, but wear it to save lives. There is no doubt that one should wear a mask when in public.