Wearing masks limits COVID spread to a great extent
Many people consider wearing masks in public places as an imposition instead of a healthy practice. This is the reason why many people are seen without masks once government health agencies relax the COVID appropriate protocol.
Wearing a mask is the only anti-COVID way that was effective in controlling the mass spread of the coronavirus before COVID vaccination became a reality. Immediately after COVID was declared a global pandemic, everyone was advised to wear masks and perhaps this helped cut down the risk of transmission of the disease to an unimaginable extent, though sanitizing hands and public lockdown also contributed to stop the transmission of the infection.
Even after COVID restrictions were lifted, due to less number of cases and global vaccination programs, health experts have emphasized on continuing wearing masks and covering nose and mouth.
Coronavirus is mutating
Until now, there have been a number of mutations of the virus of which 5 have been tagged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as variants of concern. Experts have also warned about possibilities of new variants of this virus.
This draws attention towards the past incidents of COVID infection waves. With every new variant, the symptoms, the due course of action of the virus and the hospital management system’s response had drastically changed.
The only thing that remained constant during this was wearing masks. While the vaccination program was on and is still continuing, the use of masks gives a primary protection to an individual.
The virus affects the respiratory tract first
COVID is a respiratory tract infection though sometimes it affects other body organs. The coronavirus enters the body through the nostrils and mouth mostly and breeds in the respiratory tract.
The only way to stop contracting the infection is by limiting its entry through nose and mouth. While masks cover nose and mouth properly, sanitizing hands regularly especially after touching a contaminated surface reduces the chance of the virus to enter the body.
Masks will cut the chain of transmission
One of the biggest difficulties that health watchdogs saw during the COVID pandemic was the rising number of asymptomatic patients. These patients were unaware of carrying the virus as they didn’t experience any symptoms of the infection. But these people were as efficient as those who showed symptoms, in spreading the virus.
In this case, masks would serve as the first and foremost protection to the healthy individuals. Masks would stop the viruses present in the droplets of breathing, sneezing and cough of the infected individuals, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, from entering the body of a healthy person.
Mask reduces COVID spread to a significant extent, say studies
A 2021 study published in the British Medical Journal, found that due to widespread use of masks, the number of new COVID infections dropped by 53%. The study confirmed that personal protective and social measures, including handwashing, mask wearing, and physical distancing are associated with reductions in the incidence COVID and concluded that of all measures, wearing masks was the most effective one.
Another 2022 study published in JAMA Network found that among mong 431 SARS-CoV-2 cases and 966 contacts with conclusive SARS-CoV-2 test results the infection rate rose to 26% if the infected person, their contact, or both were unmasked but dropped to about 13% if both were masked.
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