The Use of Masks to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus

Use of Masks to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus
Han He
Institutional affiliation
Intro Stat for Bus
Prof

04/28/2020
Use of Masks to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus
Introduction
The coronavirus pandemic is ravaging people all over the globe. It is creating a health and economic crisis, which is affecting even developed nations in the world. Because of this, coronavirus pandemic is one of the worst disasters that countries are witnessing since the adverse effects of World War II. Since its emergence from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the virus is affecting every continent except Antarctica. The number of infections is increasing every hour in African, America, and in European countries (Peng, Ho & Hota, 2020).
Countries are trying to stop the spread of the coronavirus by carrying out mass testing and providing prompt treatment, which has not been easy with the increasing number of patients that the virus is affecting daily. Also, the countries are carrying out contract tracing, restriction of travels, quarantine of citizens who may be having the virus. Also, governments have taken measures to prevent mass gatherings, as evidenced by the number of sports canceled all over the world. Also, concerts and school are not ongoing during this time of coronavirus crisis (Cowling & Aiello, 2020).
The pandemic is moving from one person to another at a faster rate. The affected people may not be able to cope with the detrimental effects of the condition, as they may face death within just weeks. Because of this, the pandemic is considered as more than just a health crisis. By looking at the countries that are facing the adverse effects of the disease, there can be political and socio-economic crises, which we will be experiencing in the next decennia. Most victims feel that they are in unchartered territory. It is because many societies are facing with the coronavirus. People have deserted most cities either due to government measures or on their own to avoid becoming victims. All over the world, theaters, shops, restaurants, and clubs are not operational because of fear of the pandemic. Every day, people are no longer turning for jobs, with uncertainties when the normalcy will return.
Due to the significant effects of the virus and several measures that have been taken to ensure that the pandemic does not spread, the most effective ones have been using masks and social distancing. These two strategies are effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Thus, this paper will delve into an implementation plan that could be useful in spreading the coronavirus while using these two strategies.
Plan to Promote masking
The first step to ensure that people are masked is to ensure that free masks are given to people all over countries to ensure that they do not become affected by the virus. The virus is spread from one person to another when the droplets get into contact with an uninfected person. The second person can also spread to other people if his/her sweat, fever droplets, and saliva touch another person’s body (Shen et al., 2020). Masks have been useful in preventing these kinds of body droplets from getting into contact with another person. It is because when one coughs or sneezes, the masked people can contain them within their bodies. The use of masks proved very useful in Chinese cities when the virus broke out in the early stages. The government of China took the prompt measure of distributing several masks to households to ensure that every citizen does not just protect themselves but also protect the lives of other people. The issue of masks is one of the reasons why the coronavirus has spread because some people could not get safe masks. In this regard, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that they are distributed to the citizens. The current distribution points that can be useful in ensuring extensive coverage include supermarkets, where people are going to get their food products. Also, the government can use healthcare workers and volunteers in distributing masks to doorsteps. However, it is critical to ensure that distributed masks are safe to prevent another wave of infections.
After the distribution of the masks, it the responsibility of the government to ensure that people put these masks. it will be evident when they are attending public places like supermarkets or walking on the streets. When the masks are put on, there is a reduced chance that citizens will get infected with the virus. Enforcing this policy of wearing masks in public could be effective when the police officers have been involved. They will be present in the streets, ensuring that there is adherence to government regulations. The use of the police force in implementing this policy was one of the reasons why the Chinese authorities were able to contain the virus within a short period. Also, the police officers could be useful in sensitizing people about the importance of putting masks on while people attend public places like supermarkets (Gudi & Tiwari, 2020).
Another way that the government can use in ensuring increased use of masks is through the visual and mass media. No form of communication is most effective in spreading the news about the coronavirus than these two. People are concentrating on social media and print media seeking new information and the impact the virus is causing all over the world. Leaders are providing daily updates about the virus, as they encourage people that normalcy will return soon. Because of this, it is critical for leaders in providing daily updates to sensitize people on the importance of wearing masks most of the time to protect themselves as well as other people from the pandemic. The media will relay this information that will create a sense of responsibility among citizens to know that they have ...