Wearing a mask in 2021 is becoming more important than ever, as the first days of January reveal the largest number of reported COVID-19 cases in a single day to date (according to the CDC).
It’s a new year…. but don’t forget to MASK UP!
We all want to keep healthy, so help out your friends, neighbors, and your community by continuing to wear a mask in public in the new year! Thankfully it’s no longer a political statement, just something that all our politicians have recognized as important…
right alongside the health professionals.
The CDC and WHO continue to Recommend Masks
In addition to the constant reminders we all hear from global health authorities, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), it may be shocking that the number of new cases reported to the CDC has continued to trend up since mid-September, but it certainly has.
January 2nd, 2021 saw a new high in the US, with a total of 284,554 new cases (according to the CDC) reported on just that day alone. Although the chart looks like it is fluctuating up and down in November / December, that is just the fluctuation of the 7-day moving average of new cases.
-chart above, directly from the CDC website-
If we look at bi-weekly or monthly averages, the number of cases have unfortunately been increasing in the US since mid-September! Poor judgement, and the ability to not be able to stay away from close friends and take the recommended safety precautions during holidays have all attributed to these new rises in COVID-19 cases.
It’s understandable that during holidays, birthdays, and other habitual celebrations, we all want to reconnect with our close friends and family, but unfortunately those types of activities should absolutely involve wearing a mask if they do happen.
Wear a mask, even if you don’t think you have COVID-19
Wearing a cloth mask might not be the ideal way to keep yourself from contracting diseases from others, but it certainly plays a very helpful role in keeping the wearer from spreading their own diseases. By wearing masks, we are all helping each other to reduce our own ability to spread any of our own diseases, including COVID.
The CDC estimates 50% of the transmissions are by asymptomatic carriers, so be aware that you very well might be a carrier, never feel very ill from it, but inadvertently pass it on to someone else that falls deathly ill from contracting it from you. Diligently wearing a mask can greatly help out your friends, neighbors, and anyone you come into contact with!
Help the community
It’s not always fun, but keeping our distance and using proper safety precautions could very well be the thing that keeps the US from going into more lock-downs in the coming months, before a working vaccine can be spread to the majority of the country.
The CDC’s website (cloth-face-cover-guidance) was most recently updated in December 2020 with details of what to wear, and how to wear it for the most effective forms of protection against spreading COVID-19. One interesting thing I saw is that they actually make masks with a clear/transparent panel across them which can be used to help people see your mouth in special situations (if you’re communicating with deaf people, children, or any situation where seeing the mouth is imperative… pretty cool, huh? We certainly thought so.)
Their site is chalked full of tips, recommendations, and links to recent studies that have been done on COVID spread and prevention. It’s worth looking at if you haven’t seen it.
Bottom line
Let’s all be good to each other while we wait for those that most need a vaccine to be able to receive it! Wear a mask if you go out in public, and make sure you wear it properly.
Of course, now more than ever, it’s the worst time for anyone with a somewhat compromised immune system to be out and about. However, we all need to go out sometime for things like groceries. The actions you take are even more about benefiting the community than yourself, so if nothing else, do it for the benefit of others who are dependent on your support!