Wearing a Mask Can Save Lives

A+Ridgeview+High+School+student+poses+with+mask+in+front+of+school.

Kristen Hunter Flores

A Ridgeview High School student poses with mask in front of school.

Eric Cadenas, Staff Writer

       The Coronavirus Pandemic has affected people across the world.  People are losing their jobs, kids are not going to school, and millions of people have died, but the most controversial thing is if you should wear a mask or not. I believe that people should wear a mask because it slows the spread of the virus. 

      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.” Masks are essential in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and can stop the spread of COVID-19. 

     Everyone should wear a mask when they’re going into public places because not wearing a mask can put you and others lives at risk. The CDC states, “… people wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.” 

      My aunt and cousin contracted  COVID- 19 while being out in public and contracted it from people who were not wearing masks. They found out when they lost taste in their taste buds. I was scared that something bad might happen but found out they were going to be fine. Although my relatives survived, there are people who weren’t so lucky. 

     As of the beginning of October,  there are over 36 million people infected with the coronavirus and over one million people who have died from it. This statistic from the World Health Organization shows me that people should wear masks in public more often. I don’t understand why people are not wearing masks. Don’t people want to stop the spread? I get that people who have breathing problems should not wear masks but there are people who can wear masks yet still don’t. Like many others, I just want this pandemic over with so we can go back and live normally. 

     If a person wants to get out of their house then they should wear a mask when they’re in public, so they won’t catch the virus. People also need to stop partying and listen to the professionals. 

     The World Health Organization (WHO) states, “Masks are a key measure to suppress transmission and save lives. Masks reduce potential exposure risk from an infected person whether they have symptoms or not. People wearing masks are protected from getting infected. Masks also prevent onward transmission when worn by a person who is infected.” Wearing masks are a key measure to slow the spread, save lives, and can reduce potential exposure risk from an infected person. People need to protect themselves when going into public places because even though they won’t be affected, there are people who can get it and fall fatally ill. So all in all, please wear a mask.