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Why should we all wear masks for 100 days?

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President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday (12/03/20) said he plans to ask the nation to wear masks for his first 100 days in office.  “Just 100 days to mask. Not forever — 100 days,” Mr. Biden said.  Why should we adopt universal masking?

  1. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that wearing a mask could be more effective than a vaccine at fending off the pandemic.  And vaccine availability for most (young, healthy) Americans will take at least 100 days.
  2. A University of Washington study from July forecast that the U.S. daily death toll could be reduced by more than 66 percent with universal mask-wearing.  Statistical modeling suggests that near-universal masking could prevent 180,000 COVID-19 deaths
  3. Some studies hint that masks might reduce the severity of infection if people do contract the disease.
  4. Previous studies have concluded that face masks have helped reduce the transmission of influenza as well.  They likely reduce the transmission of other viral and infectious respiratory infections as well.
  5. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a scientific hero and American treasure, said “it’s a good idea.”

 Sky Pittson, MD,  December 10, 2020