A Sure Thing
Most of us love certainty…at the very least, predictability. That’s what makes all the talk about wearing masks so difficult.
There is some evidence, not conclusive and not without dispute, that the transmission of COVID-19 is reduced if people are wearing masks or face shields. So in one respect, it’s not a bad idea.
Except early on, the advice from official sources was completely the opposite; not necessarily because the science or our understanding of it changed…but because we were short on masks and to avoid people hoarding them and medical professionals not having enough supply, the official line was that you didn’t need them.
Now it’s become a cottage industry, with all manner of logos and school mascots pasted across our faces.
The problem is that folks who wear masks tend to feel, and therefore act, invincible. I’ve talked about them before, people who go up and down store aisles without regard to customer flow, because they’ve got that precious mask. It’s a false sense of security. Sort of like if you have a certain medical condition and take medication, you then think you can do or eat anything you want. Not really.
Remember when this started back in March, the goal was simply to flatten the curve and limit the spread, to avoid health care systems from being overloaded. Now, of course, since we want certainty, there are those advocating keeping the world closed until we have cures and vaccines. That’s a far different end goal…somewhere along the line, the goal changed from flatten the curve, to avoid all cases.
That’s not terribly practical, but it plays into our desire for certainty. Masks may help, but again, we’re not going to end this right now, and certainly not with masks. It’s all part of living alongside the virus. Best to keep the proper goals in mind.
