We are currently seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases and will probably experience continued increases throughout the year. Since the beginning of The Great Pandemic of 2020, experts have insisted that wearing masks decrease the spread of the current coronavirus infection and could clear it up in the US within 2 months. Masks got an extra push with the unofficial campaign of ‘show you care and wear a mask’. CNBC’s Jim Cramer asked what a lot of us are thinking- why don’t people do the simple thing of wearing a mask?

Unreasonable Reasoning

Despite the goofidity, a few reasons that may underlie why people don't wear and fight against wearing masks*:

1. Self: The caring for others push has been pretty funny because nobody cares that much about other people. Humans in the US care about their survival, freedom, and money.

2. Odds: The risks of dying from COVID-19 have been shown thus far to be low. Mask non-wearers are likely comfortable with their chances of getting infected, hospitalized, dying.

Push Harder?

Texas just mandated face coverings and studies showing evidence for the effects of wearing masks have been published from Alabama, Oregon, San Francisco, China, and Italy.

To encourage an increase in face mask wearers: 

1. Publish at least one solid peer-reviewed paper showing masks lowering the chances of getting and transmitting coronavirus.

2. Promote expert data showing the types of and how masks prevent the spread of personal aerosols and germs.

3. Supply people with a list of places they can get reliable masks and directions on how to make their own mask. Inform them of how to clean them.

4. Fine people for not wearing masks for mouth & nose coverings.

5. Remove the politics from COVID-19.

Bottom Line:

It should not be this difficult to comply with wearing face masks and wearing them properly to rid us of an economically and societally damaging pandemic. A low death toll doesn’t mean a low cost toll. It is still not clear who becomes severely ill with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hospitalizations, high cost of ventilators, and pending cost and availability of vaccines and treatments need to be seriously considered when making the personal choice of not wearing a mask. We are all paying for this.

If this still isn’t convincing, consider the increased fashionable push. Most people get on board to anything, from kale to plastic surgery, when it is promoted enough. The market has provided several choices to satisfy your narcissism. **

Updates

CDC recommends wearing a mask by all parties (July 14, 2020)

Savannah mayor calls out Georgia Governor for banning local mask mandates (July 15, 2020)

*Based on observation and guessing, not on Jim Cramer.

**Not a paid advertisement; examples of masks available at the time of publication.