America First

While a mandatory Mask mandate would cause concern for some, the United States would have life saving effects while also  doing great things for the economy . It would  prevent another massive shutdown locally and federally.  Americans’ health should be the primary goal in this war against the virus.

Covid 19 struck our country in early march last year and our country hasn’t been the same since.  We started hearing  the terms social distancing and even heard the mention of masks which wasn’t a common part of american life.  While the first lockdown has concluded and another one on the horizon could be like if we can help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. That’s why Mask-wearing is ultra important. When the mask covers both your nose and mouth it will help prevent others from getting sick even if you have the virus. It will help protect against people who previously contracted the virus.  Having everyone in the community wear a mask will help prevent a loophole in which the Coronavirus could re enter our communities again. This is a protective measure that we can afford to have.  It will limit the potential spread and potentially save a family member of yours. While mask alone won’t end the pandemic but offer a valuable barrier along with pairing it along with socially distancing and hand washing. Combining all 3 would  have significant benefits which could help prevent another shutdown and cause the economy to crash which would put many people out of work. According to one doctor study “Considering a fixed transmission rate, 80% adoption of 20%, 50%, and 80% effective masks reduces cumulative relative (absolute) mortality by 1.8%”. This means if 80% of American wore masks and on average  the people that died would be almost 2%. When you break the numbers down it comes to roughly 4000 americas. America needs to listen to the doctors and health experts since they are recommending we wear the masks. Is it our best intention to start wearing them so we can get back to normal? Since  doctors have concluded that wearing a mask  has no downside but has the upside to prevent a nationwide shutdown combined with the fact it would allow us to go back to normal faster it seems like the only good option we have.

Another outbreak the same size of the other one would affect the american healthcare system by straing it extremely thin but also affect the wallets of americans. The second wave of shutdowns is popping upon us again so restaurants, gyms, schools and other businesses will have to shut down for the second time this year.  This would not only hurt families out of work but devastated business owners a second time. If closed down again a massive bailout would be needed to help make these businesses survive. Having so much uncertainty will affect the market again. In early march last year it seemed like a recession could be near. What they say to the media has an immediate impact on the stock market. Which could be beneficial but also could work against it as well .  In times of crisis like for example a pandemic, experts in healthcare stepin.  Scientists and healthcare workers will always side of caution which leads to politicians being put under more pressure.  Laws will go up preventing people from going out and followed by the business being closed,  followed by the stock market taking a beating. When the financial crisis hit in 2007.  One estimate had been taken and 10,000 lives were lost due to that recession and this could be angled up as a 2.0. In addition to having to worry about the virus people have to deal with the effects of not seeing people and finances.we want to prevent long-term suffering We need to try and prevent somthing long term and try and keep everything as normal as possible or we will feel the effects of this for years.Experts suggest “a real risk of a vicious downward spiral of illness and impoverishment.” If we don’t get this virus under control as fast as possible. Everything humanly possible needs to be done not to let that happen and in this case having to require a mask situation looks like our best option according to our nation’s doctors and many Health experts. Their priorities lie with the people’s mass safety and with the extensive training in the medical field it would be wise to listen to them. Life may not go back to normal as soon as we would like to but its the way we have to live to end this. We need to do our part to help end this pandemic so we can get everyday life back.

In a time where we needed top politicians to come together and help us get out of this situation it actually had the opposite effect.  Which leads to opposite reporting of the news. Republican senators were uneasy about the virus credibility and have often claimed it’s been over exaggerated and even were preaching against masks at the beginning and even the president agreed about how he did not agree with masks. That was until the President and members of his team ended up getting covid and he had to be airlifted to the hospital for medical care. Health officials have been stressing how important it’s been to wear masks but many people don’t regard them since they believe it’s fake or isn’t as serious as some made it out to be even by their own President. Having this disconnect is putting lives at risk with communication errors in a time where communication has never flown so fast. We need to start looking at covid like a war instead of a battle its not going to be won or lost in a day.It’s a mircrob  war, it will be won or lost in the lab with doctors and other lead Health experts leading the charge. However, this will happen only if scientists and healthcare workers are heard by the people and not belittled and they have a proper platform where their ideas can flow. 

Scientists and health experts have stated wearing a mask has no downside and when it increases your chances of getting sick in any way. Even though there isn’t enough data to prove the point in small settings it has at least shown some effectiveness to prevent spread of covid-19 and to that we can’t argue. while they may be annoying it could save someone’s life and help the economy not shut down again which everyone can agree on.

While wearing a mask could give Americans a false sense of security it is the only way to continue living with this pandemic.  This system is far from perfect but having it in place will help keep things going. A claim that wearing a mask gives you a false sense of security is a big one.While yes you can still be infected by the virus while wearing a mask the odds are extremely low and combining it with the other recommendations is our best way. According to Dr Lisa Lockerd Maragakis “Wearing a face mask in public helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 — but only if worn properly, covering both your nose and mouth.” In the case where people don’t do this it defeats the purpose of wearing the mask in the first place and won’t prevent the spread and wont prevent you from getting sick. As a country we need to fight this together or we will end up wasting years of our lives because we don’t. If we viewed this as a World War and got everyone on board with containing this virus we would have a chance to go back to normal without a vaccine out for the masses.

Another counter to that would be Americans would get sick from these masks if they keep wearing them without washing them or getting a new mask putting more lives at risk. Obviously Putting a dirty mask on could potentially spread the virus. Considering this is a concern for some it is understandable to be the solution is simple.  A NEW MASK. “To avoid contamination (which can happen if you touch it, set it down or just if you’re out and about), throw your cloth mask in the washing machine at the end of each day or after each use, says Dr. Burgess. Since we are in a pandemic people need to be more cautious of others since this has the power to shut down our country. So it’s not giving a false sense of security it more or so using common sense you wouldn’t want a dirty mask on your face in the first place. Being more clean at the end of the day will help Americans as a whole to prevent other sickness. Being extra careful will never hurt anyone and if anything we will be prepared.

Someone who wore the mask at all times would be California’s assemblymember Miss Autumn Burke; she believes she got the covid-19 virus while wearing her mask indoors at a meeting where social distancing wasn’t practiced. cases like these will still pop-up even though they wore their mask but that’s how contagious this virus actually is. “While masks are effective, they are not 100% foolproof,” says Dr. Burgess. Maintaining a distance of at least six feet between yourself and others adds an extra layer of protection”. On top of preaching how important mask our hand washing and social distancing should even be practiced better since they are both important to containing the virus.  Important now we should be stressing and washing, which  is  efficient against the virus. Nothing is going to be truly 100 percent against this virus. We just have to do our best everyday to end it so we can get back to normal life. Mask cant and wont be 100 percent effective but if they save 1 life it shouldn’t be a question.

Wearing a mask also won’t weaken your immune system. So people’s first instincts were they didn’t want to wear it to repress their immune system which isn’t the case.  A healthy immune system is very important against fighting off any virus and when covid 19 first came out a rumor that was out there was that wearing a mask could repress your immune system. This claim is false and is looked down on in the medical community. The immune system is the body’s natural defense system.  The immune system works and its function as a whole, which is crucial in preventing infection or disease which Covid is. Dr Sullivan said in the article Can face masks lower oxygen levels or weaken the immune system? Here’s what health experts say “I can pretty much guarantee to you that wearing a mask intermittently throughout the day or even all day long is not going to weaken your immune system.” Wearing a mask won’t affect your health in any way actually. Even your breathing which some people brought up as a cause of concern is really non existent. Facemask may be uncomfortable and may be a bother to wear but they aren’t meant for style here meant to protect you. Some facebook articles have flooded the internet where some guy passed out because he was wearing a face mask. It came out to be false but it was spread to thousands of people. It doesn’t affect your breathing to the point where Co2 levels rise or you can pass out. It’s going to be harder to breathe, yes but it’s because there is a piece of cloth covering your face.

A Mask mandation might sound a little harsh at first but in the end it will end up preventing thousands if not  tens of thousands of deaths this year alone in the United States. We need to sense up an act on it before it’s too late And not let unexpected Americans die.

The economy is a major or the major issue for many americas. Many americas like myself like to put the economy before anything since we believe it is the backbone of the country. In an article published  from Ohio economics,  suggesting having a mask mandate would help the economy, since it would cause less uncertainty. It makes sense because having another shutdown which would lead to massive closure again.  The hardest hit by the first shutdown was the middle and lower class. They can’t afford another shut down and could not only leave some families hungry but some potentially without a house. Wearing a mask could prevent this. On top of that they are very relaltic for every american to wear since the price of them is very affordable. A government economics KIP VISCUSI has said “One human life is worth about US $10 million.’’ Having a mask only saving  a few lives with this would not only save families trauma but be extremely beneficial for the economy outlook. Having a mandate would help prevent another shut down . “In a survey published by Scioto Analysis this morning, 38 out of 40 Ohio economists said that the economic benefits of mask mandates outweighed the economic costs.” This makes sense because having this policy would reduce the odds of another government shutdown and keep everything open. While masks might be uncomfortable and look funny it could potentially save the US economy.

 Americans need to look at the Coronavirus as our world war and we need everyone’s help to win. In world war 2, some of the women needed to go to work since men were sent off to fight. Everyone contributed to the fight and american won. While we aren’t fighting a war like that, we are fighting a microbe war in which America needs everyone again.  A Goldman Sachs study estimated that a nationwide mask mandate would save America $1 trillion, or 5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.1 trillion dollars at stake, Americans need to look back and at least listen to the experts  that could be saved. When you break it down person by person it would approximately save the average american  $3,000 per person if the mask mandate was followed.  The amount of money the government gave out was in the trillions already; they can’t afford to lose more money because at the end of the day the people will end up paying for it.

If a mask policy was put into place it could potentially save more than 100,000 lives by this February alone. According to Dr. George Hansen article  Together we Can Make a Huge Difference”research is clear: individuals with COVID-19 can be symptom free for up to five days, not realize they are carrying the virus and spread it to others more at risk than themselves. These infected people are the biggest problem since they don’t know they even know they carry it . We don’t have a cure or a vaccine against this virus so we don’t know how different people will react if they become infected. The states that had a strict mask mandate where the  numbers have started to go down which proved that masked mandates worked. The numbers are already high and could get even higher if a mask mandate isn’t regulated. 

Preventing sucide is a major concern with the direct link by the virus but the economic side as well. Oxford researchers “compared suicide data from before  2007 with the years of the crisis and found more than 10,000 “economic suicides” associated with the recession across the U.S., Canada and Europe”Melanie Haiken . If the country  shuts down again, a 2.0 of this event could be an unfortunate side effect of the lock down. People can get really stressed out when it comes to their financial futures. Having another lockdown would mean job loss would sky rocket again. “The soaring unemployment rate and stock market losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with millions of people quarantining at home alone creates the “perfect storm” for an increased risk of suicide for many people, according to the JAMA article.”As the cases continue to rise across our country again during this fall season and into the dreaded flu season, there is a significant fear the suicide rate will definitely up if the shutdown occurs again. This needs to be stressed since something on this scale has happened before and we felt the effects. Mental health is a big issue in this country , “I wish we could take social distancing out of our dictionary. Because we are social beings. We can’t socially distance. We are social beings. We can physically distance. Which I like better,” said Steen in an article. These lives are not directly affected by covid-19, but would be saved if wearing a mask was common people could get back to their social connections and not be worried about their next paycheck. Cases are on  the rise in the US , we need to find a solution before it’s too late and we can’t go back.

 We need to consider this as our best option at the current moment .We don’t have many options and this one seems like it could have a lot of positives and few drawbacks. When you look at the economic benefits of wearing a mask versus not wearing a mask compounded with the countless Lives that won’t become infected it seems like it’s at least worth a shot.

This is why a  Mask program in the United States would be extremely beneficial for not only the health of the citizens but for the economy. Having massive human life lost would have a direct correlation with the economy. Not only would it prevent a massive shut down again it would prevent another stock market crash. Covid is a major uncertainty which  is ideal for the market. If we wanna prevent another massive shutdown in our  local and national government we need to seriously consider a mask mandate.  Having such a mandate looks to be the only solution that keeps everyone healthy and business open.

References

Eikenberry, Steffen E. “To Mask or Not to Mask: Modeling the Potential for Face …” Science Direct, 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355904/.

1 To mask or not to mask: Modeling the potential for face mask use by the general public to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic

Eikenberry, Steffen E. “To Mask or Not to Mask: Modeling the Potential for Face …” Science Direct, 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355904/.

2 Mask wearing to complement social distancing and save lives during COVID-19

Leung, C. C. “Mask Wearing to Complement Social Distancing and Save …” The Union, 2020, theunion.org/news-centre/news/body/IJTLD-June-0244-Leung-FINAL.pdf.

3 If the world fails to protect the economy, COVID-19 will damage health not just now but also in the future

McKee, Martin. “If the World Fails to Protect the Economy, COVID-19 Will Damage Health Not Just Now but Also in the Future.” Nature Medicine, 2020, http://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0863-y.

4https://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/06/12/more-than-10000-suicides-tied-to-economic-crisis-study-says/?sh=2552f4ba7ae2

Haiken, Melanie. “More Than 10,000 Suicides Tied To Economic Crisis, Study Says.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 June 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/06/12/more-than-10000-suicides-tied-to-economic-crisis-study-says/?sh=2552f4ba7ae2

5 Experts worry that suicide rates could increase in CT amid pandemic

Hernandez, Samaia. “Experts Worry That Suicide Rates Could Increase in CT amid Pandemic.” WTNH.com, WTNH.com, 18 Nov. 2020, http://www.wtnh.com/news/health/experts-worry-that-suicide-rates-could-increase-in-ct-amid-pandemic/. . 

6 Wearing a mask is not only important, it’s life-saving. | Lincoln, NE

Johnson, Bill. “Wearing a Mask Is Not Only Important, It’s Life-Saving.” Bryan Health, 2020, http://www.bryanhealth.com/coronavirus-clp/wearing-a-mask-is-not-only-important-its-life-saving/. 

7 Everyone wearing face masks could save America from a $1 trillion GDP loss

 CERULLO, MEGAN. “Everyone Wearing Face Masks Could Save America from a $1 …” CBS, 2020, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-mask-wearing-save-money/. 

8 How Government Agencies Determine The Dollar Value Of Human Life

Haiken, Melanie. “More Than 10,000 Suicides Tied To Economic Crisis, Study Says.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 June 2014, http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/06/12/more-than-10000-suicides-tied-to-economic-crisis-study-says/?sh=2552f4ba7ae2. 

9 38 out of 40 Ohio Economists Say Mask Mandate Benefits Outweigh Costs

Moore, Rob. “38 Out of 40 Ohio Economists Say Mask Mandate Benefits Outweigh Costs.” Scioto Analysis, Scioto Analysis, 17 Aug. 2020, http://www.sciotoanalysis.com/news/2020/8/17/38-out-of-40-ohio-economists-say-mask-mandate-benefits-outweigh-costs. 

 10 Lazzarino, Antonio. “Covid-19: Important Potential Side Effects of Wearing Face …” Thebjm, 20 Apr. 2020,www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1435/rr-40.

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12 Nicolaides, Dr. “Handwashing Slows the Virus More Effectively than Face Masks.” Clinical Trials, 7 May 2020, www.cmbclinicaltrials.com/post/handwashing-slows-the-virus-more-effectively-than-face-masks.

13 Wearing a mask is not only important, it’s life-saving. | Lincoln, NE

Johnson, Bill. “Wearing a Mask Is Not Only Important, It’s Life-Saving.” Bryan Health, 2020, http://www.bryanhealth.com/coronavirus-clp/wearing-a-mask-is-not-only-important-its-life-saving/. 

14 How to Properly Wear a Face Mask: Infographic

maragkis, lisa. “How to Properly Wear a Face Mask: Infographic | Johns …” HEALTH INFOGRAPHIC, 2020, http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/proper-mask-wearing-coronavirus-prevention-infographic.

15 Do masks cause lower oxygen levels?

 Parsons, Jonathan. “Do Masks Cause Lower Oxygen Levels?” Ohio State Medical Center, 4 Aug. 2020, wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/masks-oxygen-levels.

16 COVID-19 FAQs: Does wearing a mask affect your breathing?Eikenberry, Steffen E. “To Mask or Not to Mask: Modeling the Potential for Face …” Scince Direct, 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355904/.