Wear a mask.
It’s easy.
For you, for me, for the cashier at the grocery store or the elderly couple in your apartment building.
Since the Pandemic started, masks have become a highly politicized aspect of our lives. Conservatives claiming, they don’t work, its infringes on their freedoms, its illegal to mandate, it’s mind control, they cant breathe. Counterpoint, they work. The man who originally politicized them and mocked people for wearing them, begging reporters to take them off, and who refuses to lead by example, sells them as part of his campaign to fund raise, and said wearing one is patriotic.
All of that aside and not touching on the many experts and studies that have proven masks do work, I am going to use my own experience from the last two days as an example of masks working. I suffer from severe allergies and rely on allergy medicine to get through my days comfortably. Those who know me know I sneeze a lot year-round despite taking medicine. Whether its trees, grass, dust or cats, I can rarely find an escape. The allergy pills help for the most part but there are still times when even pills cant prevent all symptoms. Some of these symptoms are runny, stuffy nose, itchy throat, watery, itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, tougher breathing, irritated skin, etc. Pills help with most of those.
If you have ever had an allergy skin test, you might be aware that you are not supposed to take acetaminophen 7 days before your test. Well, I am currently on day 6 of those 7 for the 2nd time in about 6 weeks. The first time I managed, but this time for some reason, its different. The symptoms are much worse, I’m itchy, constantly sneezing, coughing, really suffering. On day 5 I almost couldn’t take it any longer and needed to find some way to escape. Living with cats and working from home means I cant really get away. So I was looking for ways I could hide, isolate myself etc. I locked myself in the closet, didn’t work. Opened the windows, slightly helped, vacuumed everything, didn’t work. Then I realized, we’re required to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID, so maybe it’ll help with my allergies. I grabbed my mask, and within minutes of putting it on, I felt a significant difference. Sneezing stopped, nose cleared up, throat stopped itching. And I could breathe again.
After seeing my doctor, she recommended that I do wear a mask even after COVID is over, while outside to protect from allergies. So, from now on, even after COVID days are long gone, there are two things that I will always have with me. My epi-pen, and my mask for when the pills are not doing their job. At least, until I can afford the $2,000 Allergy shots.
Why?
Because masks work.
Sincerely,
An Introvert.
