The COVID-19 pandemic is unfortunately unlikely to end soon unless we take precautions. While a vaccine, proper medical care, and limiting large gatherings are vital, those aren’t always things we can do as an individual. The thing we can do, however, is of the utmost importance: wearing a mask.
There are so many reasons to wear a mask. First and foremost it is to protect yourself. Second, it protects others. You might be asymptomatic but still carrying the virus, so wearing a mask helps to prevent it from being transmitted to other people. Maybe you would be able to survive a case of coronavirus, but the people you encounter—the mother with a premature newborn at home, the cancer survivor whose immune system is still weak, the severe asthmatic—might not be so lucky. You can literally save lives by wearing a mask and staying home as much as possible.
I know masks aren’t always comfortable, but the alternative is hospitalization—which is much worse and potentially permanent. Besides, surgeons wear masks for hours at a time to operate on patients. If there were a better alternative, it would have been found already.
So, do your part: help slow down the pandemic and wear a mask. If you can’t stay at home or avoid crowded areas, at least wear a mask. The sooner we all wear masks, the sooner this pandemic will end and we can all go back to doing what we love.