Why I Still Wear a Mask
Why I continue to wear a mask in crowded spaces even after Quebec repealed the mask mandate on public transit.
News cycles and the lifting of COVID restrictions can make one feel like the pandemic is over. Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to cause suffering and harm to thousands, if not millions, daily. Per the NYTimes, around 100,000 are diagnosed with COVID-19 daily in the United States, whether for the first time or infected again. Then there are the approximately 30,000 currently hospitalized for the infection today and several hundred dying. These numbers do not capture those suffering from long COVID-19 or disability from a resolved infection.
As a physician and geneticist-in-training studying the human genetics of COVID-19, I remain cautious about where the pandemic will go from here. At this point in the pandemic, there are few if any policies requiring one to wear a mask in public areas. Many hospitals still have masking policies, appropriately, although Quebec has recently lifted its mask mandate from public transportation. Individuals riding the at-times crowded buses have no legal obligation to wear a mask to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. This is the case even when there is poor ventilation, such as when windows are closed when it rains. Fortunately, I see that there are still…
