Why You Shouldn’t Throw Away That Mask Just Yet
By: William Spivey
Tags: Politics, Masks, Vaccination, Culture, Covid 19

Why You Shouldn’t Throw Away That Mask Just Yet

Photo by Engyn Akyurt on Unsplash

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued new guidelines for fully vaccinated people; it was safe to resume maskless activities both outdoors and indoors with specific limitations. This news was welcomed by many but also raised questions as to why now and how safe is it to go out without a mask? The new guidelines anticipate Americans will abide by an honor system and that people who have not been vaccinated will continue to wear masks. No offense, but there is absolutely no reason to believe the people who have been against mask wearing despite the number of lives it saves will now suddenly follow the new recommendations. How can you expect people to follow the science when they have refused to acknowledge that COVID-19 even exists?

Today I went to one of the largest grocery chains in the Southeast, Publix, and saw various activities regarding masks. Publix and Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Sam’s Club have updated their mask policies to allow customers to shop unmasked. In most cases, employees can go without masks as well. At the Publix I went to, almost all of the customers were still masked, perhaps unaware of the change in policy though several employees were unmasked. Maybe the customers valued their lives over adopting the sudden policy change, which depends on something no one realistically expects to happen. The record must reflect that Apple, Target, CVS, and Walgreens, among other retailers, have taken a wait-and-see approach and have yet to relax their standards.

I am wary about the new CDC standards. They, too, must know how large the unvaccinated population is and how high the percentage is of people refusing to get vaccinated. Was it a political decision to avoid the constant backlash in right-wing media, including Fox News? Does their version of freedom mean your right to contract a disease and infect others more important than the lives that will be saved? While there is some evidence, the various vaccines are effective against the many variants of the disease. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown to have only a 66% efficacy though it has a higher efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and death. The New York Yankees organization has reported nine positive cases among players and others who had been fully immunized with the J&J vaccine. Positive cases have also resulted in the people taking the Phizer and Moderna vaccines. The point being that even masked people have experienced breakthroughs where vaccinated people got the disease. How will removing masks just as cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are going down help?

I want to think the decision to allow mask removal, which depends on an honor system, isn’t political, but can I? Politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have made it impossible to know which of the maskless people walking around are vaccinated by outlawing a COVID Passport identifying those who have been vaccinated. I live in Florida, and nobody was clamoring to outlaw a COVID Passport. It might have been a useful tool to help private companies know who has been vaccinated and able to go maskless, but we are left with taking their word.

Are companies like Publix fearful of losing market share to their competitors that don’t require masks? Publix has been named a vaccine supplier across the state by Governor DeSantis. Is this support of a political position instead of looking out for the safety of their employees and customers?

The main reason to keep wearing masks in public, especially indoors, is that you can’t trust the public, in general, to have gotten vaccinated. As of May 15, 2021, 45% of the general population has received at least one dose in Florida. That means 55% are totally unvaccinated, with many having the job only half done. Given that even vaccinated people are capable in some percentage of both catching and transmitting COVID-19, why are we willingly being subjected to others who we know will lie about their vaccination status because freedom.

I would love for things to get back to normal as quickly as possible, but not at the risk of my own health and those I love. I don’t even want the idiots that insist on not only being unvaccinated but participating in large gatherings with no concern for the health of others.

I’ve both doses of the Moderna vaccine and am looking forward to the day when masks are unnecessary. Sadly, that day has not yet arrived.