People who don’t adhere to mask mandates and social distancing guidelines will increase the number of coronavirus infections, all because they can’t accept that their pre-pandemic lives are over.
As of Oct. 16, 32 states plus the nation’s capital have face mask requirements for anyone in an indoor setting, according to a state face mask guide by Masks4All, a volunteer organization that shares research and information about wearing face masks. These mandates require people to wear masks indoors and outdoors when unable to maintain six feet of distance from others.
People who taunt these mandates are so consumed by their fear of never being able to go back to their pre-pandemic lives, that they ignore precautions and protocols that will actually help reduce the intensity of the pandemic.
Psychologist Mark Whitmore said in an Aug. 16 CNN interview that Americans who are overwhelmed by the drastic health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 deny the severity of the virus.
This refusal of health precautions can be seen in places like Wichita, Kansas, where some residents spoke out against extending the city’s mask mandate, according to a Sept. 8 article published by the Wichita Eagle, a south-central Kansas news outlet.
Even though the mandate was extended by three weeks, the fact that so many people went out of their way to fight the decision is alarming.
It also doesn’t make sense to ignore mask mandates because doing so is just going to make this pandemic last longer.
People who defy state orders to wear masks foolishly believe this will help reestablish a sense of normalcy within society.
In August, nearly 100 protesters marched in Fort Lauderdale to protest mask mandates, according to an Aug. 15 article by the Miami Herald.
“We are not saying COVID-19 is not real, but what we are saying today is that it is time to get on with our lives,” one of the march organizers said to the Herald.
The fastest way to go back to pre-pandemic normalcy is to follow healthy guidelines so more people don’t get sick.
The other thing that’s dangerous about not following COVID-19 precautions is that if people are willing to risk their personal safety to party, they won’t take the necessary precautions to protect others from the virus.
College party-goers are one of the main culprits when it comes to putting others’ health at risk. At San Diego State, students are attending parties that violate social distancing and mask mandates, according to an Oct. 12 article published by Fox 5 San Diego. Even when infection rates rise, some college students still refuse to sacrifice their party lifestyle.
An SDSU student who tested positive for the virus in September said to NBC 7 San Diego that party-goers don’t believe the virus will affect them because they are not in the high-risk group.
“I think a lot of people are just looking at it like, let’s just get it and get it over with or they are like, whatever, if I get it, I get it, it’s not that big of a deal, so that could be part of the problem,” she said to NBC 7 San Diego.
The more people keep trying to live a pre-pandemic life, the more they continue to jeopardize the safety and health of those around them.
Requiring people to wear masks and stand six feet apart isn’t how a normal society is supposed to look and it can be upsetting to see how much the pandemic has uprooted people’s lives.
So the situation isn’t ideal, but that doesn’t mean people should retaliate against these mandates that are put in place to keep them healthy and safe.
People need to accept that no amount of protesting or defiance will ever make the virus and its impact go away. Wearing a mask indoors and outdoors is now the new normal.
If people feel ready to see a society without face masks and social distancing, then they should also be prepared to see the long-term effects of the virus.
