Is It Necessary to Use Masks?

It’s debating that wearing masks is necessary? Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Singapore (almost everyone) are using masks. Even if now the epidemic is almost over in Wuhan (China), people are still using masks. Germany is considering using the masks, and the Austria government has formally asked its citizens to use masks when going to the market.

In the USA and Canada, governments are still against using marks. Two reasons are given: 1) the masks give false security. It will not protect us, especially if we don’t use masks properly, and 2) the market is short of supplies even for doctors and nurses.

Recently more and more people in North America have raised their voices to use the masks and governments are reconsidering the issue of wearing masks. I can understand it’s not easy to provide such a large number of masks for ordinary citizens. Also, doctors and nurses are indeed short of supplies including masks.

I asked the Chinese ROS1 Lung Cancer Support Group regarding wearing masks. It seems all of them using the masks to go out. Some of them also mentioned the successful example of South Korean, Japan and Singapore, all use the masks. They firmly believe that the masks prevent COVID-19 even if it’s not 100% protecting people, it helps. They joked that future fashion is the design of masks.

My friend HaoPei (斐皓) is a Stage 4 lung cancer patient, 38 years old. He passed away in early February 2020. This picture was taken by him when he travelled in rural China after his diagnosis. 斐皓, 一路走好。