To mask or not to mask

To mask or not to mask has been the question since the very beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in this country and around the world. In the early days of the outbreak, late February and March, we were glued to our television sets listening to the likes of Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx as they gave their best advice on how the country should react to this impending virus from China.

Fauci, 79, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, and Birx, 64,  the former U.S. Global AIDS coordinator and former Army colonel, were both appointed to the White House Coronavirus Task Force headed by Vice President Mike Pence and authorized by President Trump. In the beginning, when there was a shortage of protective masks, Fauci said we didn’t need to wear masks to ward off the disease. Later, he changed his mind when masks became more available and said we should wear them.

Birx has always been an advocate of wearing masks to help protect us and others from the virus. She has not been seen lately because of the president’s new advisor and Coronavirus Task Force member, radiologist Dr. Scott Atlas, whose viewpoints on getting rid of the virus are more in line with Trump’s. He and the president both maintain that lockdowns have not worked and have pushed for herd immunity and the faster opening of schools and businesses. They are probably more right than wrong.

“My own advice on policy is masks should be worn when you cannot socially distance, particularly when you are a high-risk, or near a high-risk, person, and that is exactly–exactly–the policy that is articulated on the National Institutes of Health website,” said Dr. Scott.

It is a fact that lockdowns have never caused a virus to go away. It is out there, just hanging around and waiting to infect those in its path. This virus has proven to be an especially harmful one to those over the age of 70 and those with pre-existing conditions like obesity or diabetes. Those with weak immune systems are more susceptible to catching the virus. It’s the same with cancer or any disease. 

Some 70 percent of those who contract the virus reportedly were wearing masks all the time, while another 15 percent said they wore masks some of the time. It makes a difference as to what kind of mask is worn, obviously. A bandana wrapped around your face isn’t going to cut it.

The Custer School District Board of Education made the decision last Thursday evening at a special meeting that all students will wear masks in school for the next two weeks. This decision was based on some 30 elementary students being sent home recently because they came in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. This was probably an overreaction, but a decision made on the side of caution and safety of students and staff.

However, the administration’s decision not to hold the annual Veterans Day school program in the armory this year, and instead hold it outside for an hour next Wednesday, is highly questionable. If we can have volleyball games in the armory with spectators present, why can’t we hold a Veterans Day program there? Crowd size could be cut down by limiting student class participation numbers to a minimum, thereby encouraging attendance by veterans and family members who would have the option of wearing masks.

We certainly do commend the school and veterans organizations working together to ensure there will be some kind of program this year, instead of cancelling the event altogether. If held this week, there would have been no problem, but sitting in 30 degree weather next Wednesday at 11 a.m. could be an issue. We hope not.

In the meantime, wear a mask if it makes you feel comfortable and safe for yourself and others. It is always best to err on the side of caution, but don’t criticize those who choose not to wear one. They may have already had a dose of the virus, like many of us. We all will probably get it in one form or another, sooner or later.