Friday, July 10, 2020
Wearing Masks
Ever since the beginning of this global pandemic, people have been given very mixed statements on whether or not people should be wearing masks. On February 29 U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams stated that people should "STOP BUYING MASKS", and on July 10 he states the very opposite and encourages people to "wear a cloth face covering to slow the spread of #COVID19". These types of announcements confuse people rightfully so in whether or not they should wear a face mask. But it is also understandable for doctors and professionals to sway between wearing and not wearing a face covering, since this is a new strain of disease that is unknown and unpredictable. But the problem here is not the debate in whether or not masks should be used, it is the fact that many in our society have turned this debate into a political one. This all started with president Donald Trump choosing not to wear a masks, as it would influence political turmoil. Ironically, this statement did influence political turmoil and society began to make a stance between the two options. Some believe that if they do not wear a mask, they will be against President Trump. The other side wears masks to go against the presidents opinion. The issue here is the fact that it really is just the presidents opinion, you should not make your life or death decision just to favor your political stance. The debate on wearing a mask should be built upon the research of medical professionals and not the President of the United States.
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First and foremost, every patriotic American should wear a face-covering when they leave their home. If someone cannot wear a face-covering because of health issues, they should not venture outside the safety of their home. Those who cannot wear a face-covering are at risk of death should they contract the COVID-19 virus. In this response, I will debunk two arguments made by those who oppose wearing masks and tie in the influences of Donald Trump in this situation.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition claims that wearing a face-covering is an infringement of the rights given by the Constitution. This claim is erroneous. The United States Supreme Court Case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, proves so. Massachusetts had fined Hennin Jacobson because Jacobson had refused to receive a mandatory vaccination. Jacobson argued that this was an infringement of his freedom. The case was argued before the Supreme Court on December 6, 1904, and the Court ruled in favor of Massachusetts. The Supreme Court ruled that in the instance of a public emergency, governments have the full ability to enact laws that protect the safety of the governed. Therefore, wearing a face-covering does not infringe on the rights of the people.
Another claim made by the opposition is that face-coverings do not prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus because face-coverings do not halt the movement of particles as small as a virus. A single COVID-19 virus is 0.125 microns. Meanwhile, face-coverings accessible to the public filter individual particles that are 0.3 microns or larger. This claim was accepted in the beginning, but due to extensive research, it is no longer true. The COVID-19 virus does not travel as individual viral particles; the virus travels in conglomerations known as droplets. These viral droplets are larger than 1 micron, and face-coverings can catch them.
Unfortunately, the United States' incompetent leader, Donald Trump, has played a role in the high number of both COVID-19 deaths and cases. Trump is a man who opposes information. His detrimental leadership has led the United States to have the most COVID-19 cases and deaths. Trump has publically opposed wearing face-coverings despite evidence that proves that face-coverings are beneficial. His actions have emboldened his followers to refuse to wear face-coverings. The fight against face-coverings is only one of the heinous acts Trump has taken during this pandemic.
Medical professionals told everyone to wear a face mask during this pandemic. We should listen to them when it comes to health and forget what the president has to say on this topic. It is proven that face masks help reduce the spread of the virus by protecting others if you happen to be infected. I don't know why simply putting on a face mask is a big problem. It takes less than 5 seconds at most to put one on. However, I will be honest, I don't look forward to putting on a face mask because it makes it more difficult to breathe, especially when exercising. But, I always wear a mask in public because it is just the right thing to do right now. Trump is not a doctor and nobody should think that they are some freedom fighter for not wearing a mask because they are not. Trump supporters don't need to follow his every action just to show their loyalty. If the whole population wearing masks can help save more lives, I don't understand why we should listen to Trump when he says that masks are irrelevant. Again, medical professionals have their jobs for a reason and president Trump is not one of them.
ReplyDelete