Mask Lift ≠ Mask Up

 

By Carol Zeng

Two years after the pandemic started, the mask restriction has finally loosened a little. As researchers predicted, the peak of the Omicron variant in late January has happened, and COVID cases are decreasing dramatically. As a reward for our efforts, the California Department of Public Health terminated the indoor mask mandate on February 15th for the fully vaccinated, exclusive to school and certain settings.

However, some are not as willing to lift their masks. Individuals who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions are afraid of the possible consequences of not wearing masks. Others who are simply afraid of contracting COVID also choose to exercise their right of free will by keeping the masks stuck to their faces.

Nevertheless, they can’t deny that there are negative outcomes of wearing a mask for too long. A study conducted during the pandemic investigated the adverse effects of prolonged mask use. They have identified an increase in acne, headaches, rashes, and impaired cognition in the majority of the healthcare workers that were surveyed. Another study also shows that there is a higher chance of developing a respiratory tract disease, and it leads to people touching their face more often due to the false sense of security a mask provides.

However, there is a valid reason why the counties are deciding on lifting the mask restriction. The chart below shows the coronavirus cases throughout the pandemic, and Omicron caused a massive spike in (mild) cases.

There are also trivial concerns about feeling self-conscious about taking their mask off in public, mostly because they don’t want others to think that they don’t care about public health, or simply because they are too used to walking around with a mask on and feel exposed without one. However, some people remain irrationally afraid of the virus. In early March 2022, an interview with several healthy adults in the United States reported that they just “don’t feel comfortable” taking their masks off. One person said, “It feels uncomfortable, you know, being in a store and seeing people without masks, [and] a mask. . . feels a little bit like a security blanket.” Another complains that they are “feeling out of sync with the world around them,” but still remain paranoid about the virus. In sum, the fully vaccinated and boosted healthy individuals will continue to wear masks, which they have acknowledged that it only serves them as a comfort item, to “protect themselves and others from COVID,” and at the expense of their connection to friends and their community. In addition to sacrificing their own social life, their children are also not allowed to go on playdates indoors and have to live with their parents’ paranoid restrictions. 

So, should you take off your mask? In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. After all, America can’t make you take it off.

 

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