Wear the mask or not: the dilemma of some people

Dr. Gupta reacts to the abrupt end of mask wearing on public transport 2:03

(CNN Spanish)

- Masks are widely used in some cultures, such as Asia, even before the pandemic.

But in the West, this is not a common practice.

For this reason, when some governments lifted their mandates for the mandatory use of masks in, for example, public means of transport, some people celebrated the decision.

However, there is a group in society that still wants to continue wearing masks for protection.

How to decide what to do?

Dr. Elmer Huerta asks us a question that could help you resolve that internal debate.

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, or read the transcript below.

Hi, I'm Dr. Elmer Huerta and this is your dose of information about the new coronavirus.

Information that we hope will be useful to take care of his health and that of his family.

The lifting of the mask use mandates

A recent and sudden decision by a federal judge in the United States, which annulled the mandate of the health authorities on the use of masks in public transport in the country, has been received at the same time, with anxiety and joy by different segments of the public. society.

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With favorable figures related to the pandemic in most of the planet - with the exception of China - it is time to review what could happen in the future with the use of masks in Western societies.

And the reason why we say Western societies is because during the pandemic, the use of masks - practiced for decades in many Asian countries - had to be adopted on the run by surprised residents of Western countries, who before covid-19 They would never have dreamed of wearing a mask in public.

Has the time come for Western societies to adopt the use of masks in their daily lives?

Or, will they abandon them immediately after the authorities determine that their use is no longer recommended?

Will Western societies adopt the use of masks as do Eastern societies, whose members put on a mask at the first sign of respiratory illness, or will they return to the past, and never wear them again?

It is impossible to know what the future will bring.

But, while this arrives, and even with a pandemic that has not ended, it is time to rethink the use of masks in the coming months.

multiple controversies

In its adoption during the pandemic, the use of masks has gone through several controversies.

The first was related to the delay with which both the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended its use in the population.

The second was related to the type of mask that was necessary to use.

Which was better, cloth, surgical, N95 respirator, double mask?

The third controversy was related to the environment in which the mask should be used.

Only in a closed environment or also outdoors?

It was not until the beginning of 2021, when it began to be recognized that the main route of infection of the virus was through microscopic aerosols that spread when breathing, speaking, singing or shouting, that it was recommended that the masks that gave the greatest protection were respirators. N95 or KN95 and that their use should be mandatory in closed environments without ventilation.

However, we think that the biggest controversy in relation to the use of masks is the mandatory use.

Perceived as an attack on individual freedom by some, or as a public health necessity by others, the use of masks quickly became politicized, confronting members of society in many countries around the world.

What is it that we should do?

First of all, it is very important to understand that the pandemic is not over yet.

At the time of writing this episode, for example, in the United States, more than 32,000 cases are diagnosed every day, some 14,500 people are hospitalized, and 447 people lose their lives, numbers that are undoubtedly still worrying.

And although it is true that the situation of the pandemic in Latin America shows very favorable numbers, it cannot be guaranteed what will happen in the future.

According to statistics, most hospitalizations and deaths caused by the current variants, omicron and its subvariant, BA.2, occur in:

• unvaccinated people,

• partially vaccinated

• Or in people - even fully vaccinated - who are very old or suffer from diseases that lower their immunity.

It is therefore very important to understand that, despite the restrictions being lifted, these types of vulnerable people must continue to protect themselves with a mask in closed spaces to avoid contagion.

In this regard, it should be noted that, although people in a certain place are not wearing a mask, the person who wears it is protected from infection depending on the type of mask and its correct use.

That is, individual behavior is what matters to be protected;

If I want to protect myself, nothing prevents me.

The key question to know whether or not you want to continue using the mask

In this regard, a fundamental question remains open: What should a person do who still wants to protect themselves even if the restrictions have been lifted in the place where they live?

We think that the answer to that question lies in the answer to a more important one: Why have I worn a mask during the pandemic? Because of the obligation to fulfill a mandate or because I wanted to protect myself from contagion?

If the reason why I have worn a mask is to comply with a government regulation, it is very likely that when the restriction is lifted, I will stop wearing it and - like many people on planes when it was announced that they were no longer mandatory - I will react with jubilation and joy.

But if the reason why I was wearing a mask during the pandemic was because I understood that it was useful to prevent infection, it is very likely that I will continue to wear it in situations that can cause contagion, for example in public transport vehicles and in public places. other closed spaces.

It will be a personal decision, based on my health care.

In this regard, when asked how he took the ruling of the judge that suspended the mask mandate, President Joe Biden said that Americans should decide for themselves if they want to wear masks on public transportation.

What is your decision dear listener?

Do you have questions about covid-19?

Send me your questions on Twitter, we'll try to answer them in our next episodes.

You can find me at @DrHuerta.

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Thanks for your attention.

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