COVID-19 has been a very large obstacle in people’s lives worldwide and has caused division due to beliefs in the virus itself — especially the ways to prevent the virus. Though it is also encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, the most encouraged and common method to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to wear a mask when leaving home. 

The correct use of masks to correctly prevent the spread of COVID is to cover both the nose and mouth — it is not as effective to keep the nose out of the mask. However, though masks are highly encouraged from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many Americans either refuse to put the mask over their nose, or not even wear masks at all despite the fact that masks have proven to be highly effective.

Masks act as a small barrier that, according to the CDC, “help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the masks coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice.” The CDC also states that this is called source control. 

Masks can allow people to be social, to a certain degree, while remaining safe. Then the main issue regarding masks, is just the fact that some people don’t wear them which clearly presents them as selfish. Even if one doesn’t believe masks work, or that the virus is total bogus — both of which is incorrect — they don’t take into consideration the fact that people around them might believe the opposite. 

The people that aren’t wearing masks are putting others around them at risk. They don’t know if the total strangers around them, such as a grocery store, could be highly at risk even if they don’t look like it. Even if they are wearing the masks, it is still best for you yourself to wear a mask to try to eliminate the risk even more in case you are carrying the virus and aren’t quite aware of it. 

Many people that don’t wear masks commonly believe that masks don’t help. People have posted videos of using spray bottles to mask and showing how “it is still leaking through” when in reality, people don’t sneeze like a full powered spray bottle. Too many people have tried to debunk the fact whether masks work or not to the point where it seems as though they would rather wear nothing to protect themselves at all. 

Not only that, but they assume that masks are considered to be a cure and prevent the virus 100%. In reality, even with masks it can be spread, but it’s still 10 times more safer to wear them anyways. 

Overall, masks have helped with preventing the spread of COVID-19, and if citizens around the world would listen to CDC recommendations, stay inside, and wear masks correctly when leaving the house, the world as a whole can get through these rough times faster, and safer.