The obligation to wear a protective mask causes a lot of controversy. It has many supporters, but equally many opponents who do not comply with this obligation. Why is this happening? This is due to the fact that people perceive antiviral masks as an unpleasant chore, not paying attention to their protective properties. Many of us have "relaxed" our approach to individual protection, which has recently been observed not only on the streets - where contact is not so direct - but also in means of transport, shops or clinics. Sudden increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections However, it forced the re-introduction of various types of restrictions, including the obligation to wear protective masks in red and yellow zones, not only in public places but also outdoors. This caused a huge storm on social media, where we can often come across comments saying: "no mask". protection does more harm than good (because it makes breathing difficult, because it causes our body to lack oxygen). It is important to approach these comments with great caution, as this information is not supported by any research and is often written by people who have no connection with the medical environment so what does science say about wearing masks? Will wearing a mask help protect us from coronavirus infection?
Wearing a protective mask significantly reduces the chances of infection.
As is commonly known, SARS-COV-2 infection most often occurs through droplets . Most importantly, this information is supported by many studies on the spread of the virus among people. The fact is that airborne infections have a very high emission rate . Specialists are sounding the alarm and they agree that wearing protective masks significantly reduces the chance of infection and helps to break the chain of infections originating in asymptomatic patients. Before purchasing a mask, however, it is worth paying attention to the material from which it is made, the fit, and the number of layers it consists of - these are features that have a direct impact on its effectiveness. If you buy reusable masks , remember to wash them at a high enough temperature after each use to get rid of any viruses and bacteria present on them.
What does WHO think about wearing anti-virus masks? (World Health ORganisation) 
If you are still skeptical about the obligation to wear masks. It is worth taking a look at what WHO has to say about this. This organization strongly and unanimously supports the introduction of this obligation and recommends wearing a mask to everyone using public places. It is also a fact that the countries that were the first to introduce the requirement to wear masks are coping with the pandemic much better. The statistics clearly show that countries such as Taiwan and South Korea stopped the transmission of the virus at a very good time, which directly affects the very low number of infections . To confirm, no case of infection was reported in Taiwan yesterday , it is worth taking into account the fact that there is currently a second wave of infections in the world and new infection records are being broken every day in individual countries.
So what conclusion can we draw? Wearing a mask definitely increases our safety and helps stop the spread of the virus . Using a mask every day not only protects us, but also those close to us. You've probably heard more than once - "Coronavirus is dangerous only if you have one of the comorbidities", of course, in a sense it is true. However, by not complying with the prevailing prohibitions, we show a kind of selfishness, we forget about the elderly and the sick, we expose them to Therefore, we are at great risk. Wearing a mask is an expression of altruism and our mutual responsibility for each other, so it is worth thinking according to the principle "My mask protects you and yours protects me"!