Why everyone continues to wear masks, knowing that they do not protect against coronavirus

The new coronavirus disease COVID-19 is actively spreading in the United States. Since there is currently no vaccine for it, the most powerful weapon Americans have, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are preventive measures such as hand washing and disinfection. surfaces, reports TEAM.

Photo: shutterstock

The simplicity of these recommendations probably worries people who want to do something else to protect themselves, so it’s not surprising that face masks are instantly sold out. Despite the fact that CDCs do not specifically recommend them to be worn by healthy people trying to defend themselves against COVID-19.

“It seems intuitively obvious that if you put something—be it a scarf or a mask—in front of your nose and mouth, it will filter out some of the viruses that are around,” says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the department of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University.

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“The problem is that it is not effective against respiratory diseases such as influenza and COVID-19. If it worked, the CDC would have recommended it years ago,” he says.

It is scientifically confirmed that surgical masks do not save the wearer from inhaling small particles in the air that can cause infection. These masks are not tight to the face. CDC recommends surgical masks only for people who already have coronavirus symptoms and have to go outside. Wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of the virus, protecting others in case of coughing or sneezing. The agency recommends these masks for people caring for people infected with the virus.

The CDC also does not recommend that people other than health care workers use N95 respirators, a tight-fitting mask that is designed to filter out 95% of airborne particles.

Doctors and health experts continue to spread the word about the need to stop mass buying masks because they are ineffective. And they also warn that in this way doctors and people caring for sick people at home may lose the opportunity to purchase the mask they need. In an interview with Fox & Friends, Dr. Jerome Adams, US chief surgeon, said wearing a mask could even increase the risk of contracting the virus.

“People who don't know how to wear them correctly tend to touch their face constantly, which can actually increase their risk of contracting coronavirus,” says Dr. Adams.

But people continue to buy and wear masks.

Some people think that wearing a mask reduces the amount of touching your nose and mouth, but there is no evidence to support this. Other causes are purely psychological. One of them is related to the fear of losing conditional control over the likelihood of contracting a virus, of which we know little.

Using a mask, even with an understanding of its low effectiveness, gives people an inner sense of control over the situation.

Lynn Bufka, a clinical psychologist and senior director of practice, research and policy at the American Psychological Association, suspects people are clinging to masks for the same reason they knock on wood or avoid walking under stairs.

“Even if experts say nothing will actually change, a small portion of people think it won't hurt. It might reduce the risk a little bit, so it's worth wearing a mask,” she said.

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In this sense, wearing a mask is a “superstitious behavior.” If someone wore a mask during the spread of coronavirus or another viral disease and did not get sick, they may decide that this is the cause and continue to wear it.

The situation where everyone around you is wearing masks, and you are not, can also increase anxiety about the coronavirus and create the impression that the virus is somewhere nearby, even if it is not, says Bufka. At the same time, a person has uncertainty about his own decision not to wear a mask.

Watching masked celebrity pics they post on social media (like Gwyneth Paltrow, Bella Hadid and others) can also reinforce the idea that this is useful. Perhaps a celebrity post about the benefits of handwashing would have a greater impact on people's minds than expert opinion.

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