By Wyatt McInerney
As the vaccines begin to roll out, it is natural to view it as a sign that things are returning to normal and that we can begin to take off our masks and worry less about the distance between us. But, unfortunately, this is simply not true. Not yet.
Experts have said that masks, alone, have saved far more lives than any other biomedical intervention for COVID-19. Masks have been vital and will continue to be vital in the fight to eradicate COVID. To truly be able to get rid of this virus, we need to keep up with the masks and stay on guard.
Governor Gregg Abbott of Texas, who prematurely rescinded all regulations and masks mandates, thinks he will be seen as a hero for removing these restrictions but he is likely to be the villain if a new, predicted surge materializes.
But here in New York, if we can continue to keep doing what we have been doing this disease can finally be taken down and our lives can eventually return to normal.
And it starts by being patient.
Only about 14.6 percent of Americans have been vaccinated. Plus, data on whether people who have been vaccinated can still carry and transmit the disease is still not conclusive.
The vast majority of America is still not protected from COVID-19, and there is still a great risk that variants will pop up around the world. The more times people are infected, the more times the virus has a chance to mutate. If this virus continues to mutate over and over it makes it that much harder to stop this pandemic that has killed over 500,000 Americans, and 2,560,000 people worldwide.
If we want this terrible pandemic to come to an end, the last thing we should do is ease regulations or even take away mask mandates. We all want this to finally end, so let’s all do our part, put on our masks and keep following guidelines to keep yourself and your community safe.
