Everyone has been impacted by COVID in some way. Masks seemed to be one of the biggest topics about COVID. Should people wear masks? Should people not wear masks? Are they beneficial?

Everyone’s opinion on wearing masks is very strongly one sided, few are in the middle though. Many students do not like wearing masks.  

Masks were used before COVID and are effective in preventing disease spread. Masks have been around since early Modern Europe(18th century) where people began to wear them to help stop the spread of diseases. They were used as one of the ways to help stop germs from spreading into patients’ wounds.

Studies done by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(P.N.A.S.) claim oxygen and blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body have been proven to not be severely affected over long periods of time by wearing a mask.

Many studies have been done to test how effective wearing a mask is to help control the spread of COVID 19. The CDC claims that multi-layer cloth masks can be up to 80% effective in stopping the spread of the virus. 

 Students shared their experiences wearing masks out in public, at school, and other places where it is required. Aidan Updyke, junior at South, said, “Wearing a mask makes it hard, sometimes at public events or just in general, to understand what people are saying.”

He also stated, “I feel like wearing a mask should be optional.” He feels people have very strong opinions about wearing masks and should not be forced to wear them. 

Jaden Knasinski, Senior at North, said he likes wearing masks more in public because he has been sick more frequently and feels it helps keep others safe. 

Reese Beddoes, junior, thinks wearing masks has been very beneficial and helps keep people safe but said people take them off during lunch and other places at school and don’t see the benefit of wearing them. 

Healthcare workers have also been greatly affected by COVID as well and have strong opinions. Dr. Tim Buchanan stated wearing a mask has given him a sense of security during these times. He believes that wearing a mask has cut down on seasonal allergies. He also believes that they should not be mandated/forced to wear masks but  feels people should wear them more frequently until the numbers decrease significantly. 

All in all, masks have been proven to limit the spread of COVID and other seasonal allergies and have shown  no major or significant negative impact.  Wearing masks isn’t fun and almost everyone wishes they didn’t have to wear them, but masks will be prevalent until COVID levels drop.