Over the past months, Covid-19 has only grown worse as death tolls have increased. As masks were beginning to be mandated, many Americans began to cause an uproar. Not many people were keen on the idea of wearing masks into stores and other public places. This has put others at risk.

Wearing masks not only keeps students safe, but also those around us. Whatever an individual chooses to believe, protecting others and loved ones should be respected. Even if students think they are not sick or will not get sick, they could be mistaken. The virus can spread before a person shows symptoms. Avoiding the virus is almost impossible. The only proven way to slow and prevent COVID-19 from spreading is by wearing a mask and social distancing. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

The facts are clear: wearing a mask decreases the chances of spreading the virus by a lot. According to the University of California San Francisco, “an experiment using high-speed video found that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a damp washcloth. Another study of people who had influenza or the common cold found that wearing a surgical mask significantly reduced the amount of these respiratory viruses emitted in droplets and aerosols.” This evidence describes the damage of just saying a phrase with no mask has. 

I have faith in Southeast Polk students to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, not only in the school, but in Iowa. The more patient and understanding students are about the pandemic, the closer they will get to enjoy pep rallies, football games, dances and more. However if students can not achieve it this year, they can make it happen for the future years to come.