It astounds me every day that there are so many people in the U.S. that are against wearing masks.
I know that wearing a mask does not prevent me from contracting COVID-19 but that is not the point of wearing a mask. The point of wearing a mask is to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. To put it into simple terms, you can have COVID-19 without even showing any symptoms. Meaning that you could pass the illness onto others without knowing you are even contagious.
At the end of the day I think a big reason why COVID-19 is still a big issue in the U.S. is because the U.S. is a very individualist country. Recent studies have shown that countries who tend to have a collectivist culture, such as China and Thailand have drastically lower cases than countries that hold more individualist beliefs such as the U.S., Canada and U.K.
Countries that hold collectivist beliefs have put in different practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 early on. Not only did the countries put these measures into place though, the other half of it is that the citizens of these countries actually listened and complied with the orders that were given. It seems like we’ve seen the opposite here in the U.S. and people have been more resistant to orders or recommendations that have been given. Whether it be by refusing to wear a mask or continuing to hold events that go against what’s being recommended.
Overall, I just think that everyone could have a little more consideration for others. This pandemic is not a situation that is going to go away if people refuse to follow guidelines and think solely of themselves. We all need to put in the effort and use the collectivist mindset that so many of these other countries have.
Also please wear a mask, not just for yourselves but for the others around you.