Wear a mask or the state may have to shut down again

At the risk of beating a dead horse, we’re going to discuss masks again.

For those who wear their masks in public, thank you. For those who don’t, we ask you to give us a chance to explain why you may want to reconsider your stance.

As of Monday, there are more than 10 million cases of COVID-19 in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. Of those, 2.5 million are in the U.S. To put that in perspective, the U.S. makes up only 4.3% of the world’s population, yet we have 25% of the world’s coronavirus cases. On Monday, there were 38,800 new cases of COVID-19 in America. From Friday through Sunday, West Virginia gained 133 new cases.

All of this tells us that we do not have the pandemic under control. The Dominion Post (DP-06-23-20) made an anecdotal observation that less than half of people in a grocery store wore masks. This is why we don’t have coronavirus under control.

Wearing a face mask — a cloth covering, a disposable mask, etc., that covers your mouth and nose — is the simplest thing we can do to slow the spread of coronavirus in our communities. Let’s forget the politicking for a moment and discuss the science behind wearing a mask.

One thing we’ve learned about coronavirus is carriers can remain presymptomatic (not showing symptoms yet) for weeks, or they can be asymptomatic (never showing symptoms) for the entire course of the infection. Both presymptomatic and asymptomatic people can circulate the virus without ever knowing it. For example, a presymptomatic person at a Planet Fitness in Morgantown exposed more than 200 people to the coronavirus. Those 200 people now have the ability to catch and/or spread COVID-19 to others. It may be weeks before they know if they’re infected. In the meantime, they can spread coronavirus around the community if they don’t take precautions. Here’s where wearing a mask or face covering comes into play.

According to the CDC, wearing a cloth face covering — emphasis on covering both the mouth and nose — can help prevent a carrier from spreading the coronavirus through talking, sneezing and/or coughing. COVID-19 disseminates through respiratory droplets, like the spittle that goes flying after a sneeze or cough or the unfortunate spray that may result from pronouncing certain letters. A study from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine suggests that even exhaling can spread COVID-19 droplets — and this fine mist can remain suspended in the air for hours, only to be breathed in by the next person.

Wearing a mask doesn’t just protect you. It protects everyone. And at this point, everyone has the potential to be a carrier. Face coverings are most effective when everyone wears one, because then everyone’s droplets are better contained. And if we can’t control the spread of COVID-19, we’ll have to go into lockdown again.

Ultimately, here’s the choice: An hour or so of wearing a face covering when you’re in public — or the state closing down, shuttering businesses and possibly restricting travel. Please choose to wear a mask.