The Discomfort of (Talking About) Masks
By Torri Estes
(Advisor’s Note: Torri Estes wanted to learn a few things about the pandemic from people who disagree with her. )
In the world of social media and unreliable news, it can be easy to become misinformed and make some questionable decisions that affect you and those around you. During this pandemic we have seen the damaging, and even life-threatening effects of politicizing a virus. As most of us know, “the truth” about many important issues has been elusive in recent years.
Here is what I know:
– The “liberal media” is not trying to fool you into submission to slowly take away your rights.
– Doctors and trained professionals in the medical field are not trying to make you sheep, they are trying to save lives.
– Even if you say, “The pandemic is just a hoax,” 265,000 people are still dead from the coronavirus.
Masks are an important step in preventing the spread of Coronavirus. A simple step for a global, historic problem. Even younger children can understand the concept of protecting others and themselves from the pandemic.
In an interview with my 11-year-old nephew, he understood the wearing of masks extremely well, and had absolutely no problem wearing one. When I asked him, “Why do you think it is important to wear a mask?” he replied with, “I want to protect my grammy, and my teachers, so I wear one. I don’t think it’s really hard, plus I like my tye-dye masks, because I think it looks cool. Why wouldn’t I?”
I set out to learn something from people my age who disagree with me on this important topic that is both universal and personal. Fortunately, two 11th grade students, David Hemmerdinger and Joey Levesque, agreed to an interview with me.
The three of us knew before the interview that they were pretty much on on side of the issue of mandated mask-wearing, and I was on the other side. We had a good conversation. Among the things I learned was that:
– David and Joey said they get some of their information about the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as well as Fox, CNN and “the Internet.”
– Both students agreed that we all should be wearing masks in class.
– They believe the coronavirus pandemic is very real. They believe doctors and medical experts who have been studying diseases for years are telling the truth.
The conversation went like this:
Where have you acquired your information on masks?
“The CDC, that is the most unbiased. The media skews what they say.”
“Anywhere else?”
“The internet, CNN, FOX news, stuff like that”
Why do you feel as though you shouldn’t have to wear a mask?
“It depends on the situation. At school, yes, but not while exercising.”
Do you know anyone who has had the Coronavirus, if so what were its effects on them?
David: “Yes, but the symptoms were like a mild cold”
Joey: “Yes, but they said he died from Covid and the autopsy revealed it was from cancer”
Do you believe it is best to act in the best interest of those around you?
David: Yes, one hundred percent.
Joey: “I will put a mask on if I am asked to, but I was in big crowds this summer, without a mask, and I didn’t get covid … It is overblown for money for the media.”
Are there any other comments you would like to add or statements you would like to add?
David: “Why in gym? I have asthma and it makes it hard to breathe when you are moving around so much.”
Would you say it is more harmful to wear a mask?
David: “Yes, it is kind of overbearing. You know, we have American freedoms.”
My closing thoughts:
To be fair, masks CAN decrease air ventilation, so the CDC does recommend performing low to moderate intensity exercise while wearing them. However, wearing a mask in a room full of people in English class may not help if you take that mask off while in close contact with those same people later on. Yes, a mask can make it harder to breathe while exercising, and maintenance of social distancing in a gym can be difficult. My solution: consider home workouts.
Both David and Joey made good points about the varying symptoms displayed by people with Covid 19. The CDC reports that 24 percent of coronavirus cases were in the 18 to 29 age group, which had a relatively low death rate. However, one of the biggest concerns is that the children will bring this virus to their parents or grandparents who have a significantly greater chance of not surviving the virus. This is the reasoning behind social distancing measures for everyone, because while everyone can recognize it may not have big effects on everyone, it could have severe consequences for some.
According to a study by the University of California, in 30 to 40 percent of Covid cases the patient ends up with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or Middle East Respiratory syndrome, which is troubling regardless of age group.
Meanwhile, as of Thanksgiving weekend, more than 265,000 people have died in the United States alone from Coronavirus.