Many people are confused because they are receiving conflicting messages on the necessity or uselessness of wearing a mask.
Since March 2020, the public has been told how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this area, health officials have been slow to react and shockingly indecisive.
First, the public was told not to wear masks because the supply was needed for healthcare professionals. On Feb. 29, that was the tweet sent from the U.S. surgeon general who added that the masks were “NOT effective in preventing [the] general public from catching” COVID-19.
That did not make sense. How do masks protect healthcare workers if they cannot protect the public from the same virus?
As researchers learned more about COVID-19, they discovered that people could present without any symptoms and still be sick. They can spread the virus to others. The public was told that if they wore masks, they could stop infected people from spreading the virus.
This issue was actually discovered in February and became more apparent in March, but the CDC did not say anything until April 3. This is when the CDC announced the public should wear homemade cloth face coverings “as an additional, voluntary public health measure.”
On April 15, this changed for residents of Pennsylvania. The Department of Health issued an order that required customers and employees at businesses that were still operating to wear masks. In addition to Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland also require residents to wear masks when they are out in public.
The mask is not meant to protect the person wearing it, but for those in close proximity. This prevents someone who is asymptomatic from spreading the virus to others.