Masks are here to stay for the foreseeable future, and, wow, wearing them is a very divisive issue. This blog post is not a discussion of who is right or wrong; these are my thoughts on the benefits of wearing one in public during the pandemic.
Full disclosure: I am pro-mask.
Whether you are pro or anti mask, they are a requirement for everyday life if you want to go to the store, the dentist, the doctor, and so on.
So what are the facts about mask wearing and COVID-19? The facts vary from web site to web site, from person to person, from news source to news source.
I have been reading the Ottawa Public Health web site on a regular basis, and I find the information there to be non-alarmist and sensible.
Wearing a mask in public is about community. Unless you have access to medical masks and N95 respirators, then disposable or reusable cloth masks are the order of the day, and these are not to protect you; these non-medical masks are to protect other people from you.
Most people may not be aware that they have the COVID-19 virus. I may have it. You may have it. And in the hope of not spreading the virus to anyone else, I wear a mask. Just. In. Case.