Wearing Masks Simple Way To Slow Virus Spread, Keep Businesses Open

Health officials and government leaders have a simple ask: “mask up!”

In an effort to keep local COVID-19 cases low and prevent new outbreaks, state and county officials said that wearing masks over people’s mouth and nose are an easy and simple way to stop the spread of the virus that has claimed more than 500 Bucks County residents’ lives and sickened thousands more.

Last week, the state expanded the masking order requiring masks to be worn if people are outside and unable to maintain six feet of distance from people that are not members of their household, inside public places, while on public transit vehicles, obtaining services from the health care sector, and while interacting with members of the public during work. There are exceptions for people with medical conditions that preclude them from wearing a mask, kids under the age of two, and those with certain disabilities.

“Masking is very important,” said Bucks County Health Department Dr. David Damsker said. “It’s about harm reduction.”

Not only does wearing a breathable face mask reduce spread of the virus, it helps local businesses remain open and workers employed by avoiding virus outbreaks and increased mitigation efforts. Social distancing and sanitation also play similar roles, officials have said.

Similar to Florida, Texas and Allegheny County, a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases could mean increased business restrictions and shutdown orders in Bucks County.

Doctors have found that COVID-19 is largely transmitted by respiratory aerosols, which are commonly expelled through the mouth and nose. The virus can also be spread through asymptomatic transmission, which means the carrier may not even know they are sick and spread COVID-19 to people they come into contact with. Risk for contracting the virus increases with sustained contact with those who have it, even if they don’t know it or are yet to display symptoms. While the vast majority of infected people survive COVID-19, some appear to have lingering impacts. Since it is still a new virus, the full, long-term impacts are not yet known.

A recent study published by medical journal The Lancet pointed to 172 observational studies across 16 countries and six continents that show face masks are linked to a large reduction in risk of infection from COVID-19, even more so when merged with with social distancing. The review of the data found wearing a mask provided a “large reduction in risk of infection.”

Researchers at Texas A&M University found “not wearing a face mask dramatically increases a person’s chances of being infected by the COVID-19 virus.”

“This inexpensive practice, in conjunction with social distancing and other procedures, is the most likely opportunity to stop the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Texas A&M Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Renyi Zhang.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked Americans to wear face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The move is a change from the early days of the pandemic when Americans were asked to not wear masks to free up supplies due to shortages at medical facilities.

“Your cloth face covering may protect them. Their cloth face covering may protect you,” the agency said.

Texas and public universities in Georgia have recently reversed their mask policies to require them due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Damsker said he has seen most people comply with masking orders and requests, suggesting that the early widespread outbreak of the coronavirus in the county may have shown residents the seriousness of the virus.

Last week, the county rolled out use of “Bucky,” a buck who has served as a tourism mascot, as a mask wearing public awareness campaign that features the slogan “Stop the Spread and Save Lives.” The county has also made informational posters about masking and other safety measures available for businesses.

Levittown artist Tom Rudesyle created the poster with Bucky. Rudesyle is known for his skills as a tattoo artist and for painting the popular Coca-Cola mural in Bristol Borough.

U.S. senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey have both made the case that Pennsylvanians should wear masks.

“As the commonwealth continues to re-open, mask wearing has taken on increased significance, as studies continue to affirm that masks helps slow the spread of the coronavirus. Put simply, wearing a mask is an important step that we, as Pennsylvanians, can take to protect one another – as my mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” Toomey said.

“The green phase is not a green light to stop exercising caution in large,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “My mask protects you, and your mask protects me. Wearing a mask shows that you care about others, and that you are committed to protecting the lives of those around you.”

While visiting Texas last week, Vice President Mike Pence said the government encouraged people to wear a masks to slow the spread of the virus and called it a “good idea.”

Masks have also been the subject of worry, misleading claims, and numerous conspiracy theories.

In early June, a small group of people gathered outside the Giant Food Store at the Shoppes at Flowers Mill to protest wearing masks while shopping.

Lower Bucks County businesses informally surveyed by LevittownNow.com have not reported major problems related to people refusing to wear masks, but several reported negative social media messages and phone calls from some people who do not wish to wear masks.

While porous masks may not always be comfortable, experts told BBC News that its near impossible for basic masks that are recommended to cause carbon dioxide illnesses, including hypercapnia, for healthy people who wear them.

“There is no risk of hypercapnia (CO2 retention) in healthy adults who use face coverings, including medical and cloth face masks, as well as N95s,” Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told Healthline. “Carbon dioxide molecules freely diffuse through the masks, allowing normal gas exchange while breathing.”

Healthline cites experts as stating that only those with specific respiratory and pulmonary problems could run into problems wearing masks. Dr. Darrell Spurlock Jr., director of the Leadership Center for Nursing Education Research at Widener University, said people with respiratory issues should contact their doctor about wearing a mask.

It should be noted that contractors and medical professionals often wear masks for long periods of time without problems.

The viral conspiracy flick “Plandemic” also made the false claim that wearing a mask “literally activates your own virus,” which is not true, according to the BBC.

Anti-mask memes and copypasta (posts that are copied and pasted numerous times) have popped up on social media and often display false or misleading information relating to civil liberties, health, and the effectiveness of masks.

In the wake of misleading claims about requirements on wearing masks, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued a statement that the Americans with Disabilities Act “does not provide a blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations.”

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) also does not have to do with businesses asking customers to wear a mask, experts recently said. However, for people with actual disabilities, businesses do have to offer reasonable accommodations.

“HIPAA only applies to three types of covered entities: health plans, health care clearinghouses and health care providers,” Kathy Gips, the director of training at the New England ADA Center, told fact checking website Snopes. “It restricts their ability to share protected health information. It also gives patients access to their own medical records. It has nothing to do with customers or stores or employment or anything else.”

Schemers looking to make a quick buck have sold cards with government seals claiming to exempt businesses from having people wear masks.

The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division noted in a statement that the cards were “not issued by the Department and are not endorsed by the Department.”

Politfact noted that some people could abuse disability rights regulations in an effort to not wear a mask.

“We know that people abuse these things – just like people take their dogs into places and claim they’re a service animal,” Robin Jones, director of the Great Lakes ADA Center, told the fact checking organization. “This is just unfortunately the nature of human nature. There is no good way for an entity to monitor that.”

With no confirmed vaccine and increasing COVID-19 case counts and deaths nationwide, health officials are likely to keep masking requirements in place for some time.

“As we increasingly resume public activities in our commonwealth, we need to remain vigilant about taking precautions, especially wearing a mask that covers our noses and mouths while around other people,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “This is an easy, yet important action that has been shown by research to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

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