Why Should People Use Face Masks in the Time of COVID? The JRI Position

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely an epic reshaping of human behavior across the globe. Beyond our knowledge of previous pandemics and infections, COVID19 demanded extraordinary changes in our lifestyle. The virus spread rapidly across the globe due to its high transmissibility, and the extraordinary death toll was unprecedented. In the early stages of this pandemic, there was a sense of powerlessness leading us to isolation from public gathering. Under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other organizations, the predominant response was to use preventive measures, including social distancing, hand washing and face masks. These measures have been very effective in preventing infection and containing the spread of infection in previous epidemics and pandemics. Ongoing protective measures are critical to mitigate the pandemic; however, controversies persist concerning the use of face masks as a protection measure against COVID.