Amongst all the precautions that we've all been taking to steer clear of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, one has been to wear a mask in public. But unless you're feeling unwell, should you even be wearing a mask in public? While wearing a mask can help lessen the chances of unwell people passing on illnesses to other people, it might not do all that good to prevent healthy people from catching illnesses.
"There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any particular benefit," Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO's epidemics chief, told reporters. "In fact, there’s some evidence to suggest the opposite," he added like the risks of improperly putting on a mask or the fact that you have to touch your face if you're putting on a mask.
"Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS!" Surgeon General Jerome Adams wrote in a February 29 tweet. "They are not effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk."
Well, it wouldn't hurt to wear a mask in public anyway, but seeing how the circumstances are, people shouldn't be hoarding masks as it prevents unwell individuals from taking the right kind of precautions. So, if an unwell individual is forced to step outside without having a mask on, it becomes more likely for them to spread the illness. The bottom line here is: Don't wear a mask if you're not ill and don't panic. Stay tuned for more updates.
