Is wearing masks a danger to health? You might wonder why this question, but this has been necessitated by the ongoing war of masks going around in America. I have been watching the war going on on the news, Facebook as well as YouTube videos and was fascinated to find out why some people are so against masks.
What is the idea behind wearing masks and health?
Since before covid19 was around I have seen people especially from the far East wearing masks when traveling or when outside. During the swine flu epidemic in China most people took to wearing masks in public. Then came the SARS and the same thing happened, most people in the affected countries were wearing masks when in public spaces.
You may ask why? They wore masks for two reasons: 1. to protect themselves from catching the virus and 2. to help curb the spread to others. Very noble and caring I must say.
Is wearing masks a danger to health?
I have listened to arguments for and against wearing masks. Some people think it is a violation of their liberties. Some people are arguing in a politically motivated way and some are just merely being over the top and refuse to even listen to the other side.
So what is the real truth? A study by Texas A&M no face masks concluded that wearing in fact if you do not wear a face mask you dramatically increase your chances of being infected by the COVID-19 virus. Obviously this means not wearing them in public spaces.
Is wearing a mask a danger to the health of those with Asthma or COPD
I have seen some arguments that wearing a mask reduces the oxygen intake in your lungs. Is this really true? Some people even say if you have conditions like asthma or COPD, wearing masks can be a danger to yourself. Some medical professionals refute that. They claim that in fact wearing masks is a good protection for people with these conditions.
My husband is asthmatic and was diagnosed with COPD last year. This means he is in the vulnerable group. He was advised by the NHS (UK) to stay indoors during the peak of covid19. However my husband is an active person and does not like being confined in one place. He then decided to buy and wear a mask so he can go out walking. He has been doing so ever since and has not experienced any hypoxia or lack of oxygen.
I know there are some operations which require surgeons, theatre nurses and others involved in operations to be in the theatre for up to 6 hours or more. As we know, know they have to wear masks. If masks were such a danger to health, we would have doctors fainting or being unable to continue with operations which take long hours. Mind you they are in a confined space not even outside.
Is not wearing a mask being selfish?
The lamest argument I have heard for not wearing masks is that we will be depriving plants of carbon dioxide which they need so they can make oxygen which we need to breathe. If wearing masks helps us prevent the spread of covid 19 then not wearing one is a very selfish act which puts the health of others at risk.
I have always thought that if you do not think of yourself then by all means think of others and do the right thing. It is even interesting to me that it is predominately in parts of America where there is a great resistance to wearing masks. Could this be a political thing or is there real evidence that mask do not protect against being infected with covid19?
Are arguments and resistance against wearing masks warranted?
I was watching a YouTube video yesterday where a woman was demonstrating how the wearing of masks affects the oxygen levels in your body. However, another doctor did an experiment to show that her oxygen levels did not change while wearing a mask.
My question is, is it an irrational fear or is it because people do not have sufficient information to make informed decisions? I must admit the information out there is sometimes rather confusing because there are so many information outlets. I even think that having stayed so long in self isolation has had some effect no our mental health, hence this furore about wearing masks.
My experience with wearing masks.
I am one of those people who will always like to see things for myself. For me wearing a mask is a choice between being stuck in the house an doing things I like. I am a hypochondriac. I cannot bear the thought of even going to the shops to buy food lest I catch the virus. The choice is to wear a mask to protect myself from the virus or being stuck indoors.
Besides the smell of some bad breathe after wearing a mask for quite a bit, I have never had any problems with wearing a mask. I breathe easily and do not feel like I lack oxygen.
Wearing a mask not only protects me but sort of empowers me. It gives me a choice to protect myself and others. If I can do the slightest act to prevent the spread of this deadly virus then being uncomfortable for a time is worth it in the long run. I would not deliberately do something knowing that it may bring harm to others. My priority would be protecting others to protect myself. I am always conscious of how vulnerable my husband is because of the underlying conditions he has. My love for him makes the choice for choosing to wear a mask to protect him a no brainer.
Conclusion
My hope is that everyone does the right thing. If there is even the slightest evidence, that wearing masks when in public prevents the spread of covid19, then why not do it.
What has been your experience with wearing a mask? Do you believe that asking people to wear a mask is a breach of their rights? Is not wearing a mask making you a danger to others? Do you honestly think that wearing a masks poses a danger to your health? What ever you might think about wearing masks, I urge you to do the right thing. You need to halt the spread of the disease and protect yourself and others.
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