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LINK 10 Reasons to Wear a Mask

The new school year and the increasing dangers of the delta variant have caused another wave of debates about mask wearing. Although states and territories differ on their mandates, public health experts strongly encourage all people over the age of two to continue to wear masks. As advocates for science and compassion, humanists have many reasons to wear masks to help decrease the spread of COVID-19. Here are some inspired by the Ten Commitments:

  1. Altruism – I want to help others stay safe. Not just my family and friends, but also my coworkers, clients, customers, and communities. I want to protect the people I encounter while walking on the sidewalk, enjoying a restaurant or bar, using a post office or bank, or visiting a store.

  2. Critical Thinking – I may not know who around me is vaccinated, has COVID, or is immunocompromised. I do know that the risk of spreading the virus is immensely decreased when all parties are wearing masks because it is harder for droplets from sneezes and coughs to be released into the air. Even though it might feel uncomfortable, I understand that mask wearing does not cause low oxygen levels and is much better than needing a ventilator to breathe if I were to contract COVID. I also know that vaccination doesn’t 100% protect me from a virus so other forms of precaution are vital.

  3. Empathy – I show I care about other’s health by wearing a mask. Even if we are both vaccinated, some people prefer to keep masks on during encounters to be as safe as possible, especially if they have health concerns or interact with people who are unvaccinated (including children under 12 years old) or immunocompromised. We’ve all struggled with the pandemic and look forward to it being over, so it’s important to think outside of myself to consider another’s comfort and safety so we can get to that happy future together sooner.

  4. Environmentalism – I use cloth masks because they are easy to wash and reusable so I don’t add to plastic pollution. There are many positive and negative environmental effects of COVID, including harm caused by the increase of burials and cremations, and uncertainties about COVID’s impact on various animals.

  5. Ethical Development – Wearing a mask is an easy way I can help stop the spread of COVID and other illnesses every day. If we all wear masks, we can keep more people safe and reduce the number of sick patients depending on caregivers and medical professionals.

  6. Global Awareness – I recognize that viruses don’t care about state or country borders so my local actions against COVID have a global impact. On a small scale, wearing a mask and encouraging others to do the same can be seen as solidarity with communities in other areas. On a large scale, decreasing COVID cases in the US enables us to increase support for countries struggling to obtain needed resources.

  7. Humility – I don’t know if I have COVID even if I’m not presenting symptoms. I don’t want to spread the virus to others, especially if they or people they interact with have weakened immune systems.

  8. Peace and Social Justice – I am fortunate to have good health care, the ability to work from home, and a supportive local network to help me if I get COVID. I wear a mask to protect those more vulnerable to COVID due to lack of community, health issues, and financial burdens caused by lost work time or unemployment, hospital bills, and unforeseen expenses.

  9. Responsibility – I always bring a mask with me whenever I leave my home so I’m prepared to put it on when I encounter other people.

  10. Service and Participation – Like shirts and buttons, masks are an opportunity to represent my values and show my support. I have a mask made by a friend who was offering them for free in early 2020 and a mask from a non-profit I work with on secular education issues. I’ve seen masks with powerful statements, intricate designs, and recycled cloth. Masks are now a new form of self-expression and creativity to enjoy.

Why do you wear your mask?

HippieChick58 9 Oct 12
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11 comments

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1

I wear a mask for the benefit of others. There's the real benefit and there's also the sense of comfort it may bring to others. It also helps me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

1

When I wear mine I look like the guy holding up the stagecoach. It is around my neck like a bandana and all I have to do is pull it up.

2

I have masks for Halloween and xmas and other holidays and cat ones and scary ones kinda fun

Last year when the pandemic began, I made masks for one of my daughters, she works for the Public Schools. I made holiday masks, and general purpose masks. I gave her quite a stack. The rest of the kids, spouses, and grands got just a few masks, she got more because of her job. I remember thinking that sewing them was overkill, use once and we'd never use them again. Now we're in the second year of the pandemic and they're getting lots more use than I ever expected.

@HippieChick58 I gave a bunch away too and ordered some for my great grands

5

Besides they make a great fashion statement.

6

You should wear them all the time, corona virus or not, there are lots of other infections out there, humans are probably the dirtiest species on the planet, (we have the most diseases ) and the mouth is our dirtiest part. A no brainer as they say.

I've pretty much decided to continue wearing a mask even after this particular crisis ceases.
It just makes sense to me.
Humans are nasty creatures.

@KKGator You can look really good in them too.

@TheMiddleWay True, people in Asia wear masks, especially, in China in the winter time. However, wearing masks in China long predates Sars-Cov-2 and is related to airborne pollution which is at is highest point in the winter months.

On a scale of 0 - 50 where zero is a vacuum or a P4 Lab and 50 is hazardous to life, I recall being in China when the pollution reached 734 one day eleven years ago. China still relies heavily on coal to generate electric power and in the winter the pollution levels soar.

As far as I am aware there has been no conclusive evidence that people can contract Sars-Cov-2 by the virus entering the body through the eyes, although a few claim to have contracted the virus through the eyes.

@Fernapple Thanks for the tip. I've got a Sharpie, and I ain't afraid to use it.
😷

@ASTRALMAX
The surface of the eye leads to the tear ducts, leads to the sinus cavities, leads to the Gastrointestinal tract. Makes sense.

Health care professionals should all be using face shields.

Can a face mask protect me from coronavirus? Covid-19 myths busted | World news | The Guardian
[theguardian.com]

This article tells you it penetrates through the eyes as well. One of the reasons why so many medical professionals in Italy died, who wore masks only.

@KKGator I've decided to continue wearing a mask too for as long as is necessary.

6

Because I am not an asshole (at least not THAT big of one) or maskhole, as I call them... That is the Golden Rule, as far as I'm concerned, on this issue.

9

Don't want to get it, don't want to spread it.

5
6

I was in Japan in 1979 and even back then many people wore masks during flu season.

2

Sharing

bobwjr Level 10 Oct 12, 2021
3

Thank you. I will be sharing this on social media.

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