Throughout the entire Coronavirus pandemic, wearing masks has been a debate all over America. In mid-March, many states went into lockdown, with people not leaving their houses except for necessities like going to the grocery store. As stores and businesses began to reopen during and after quarantine, several governors, like New Jersey’s own Phil Murphy, mandated that masks are needed to enter any businesses and when social distancing isn’t doable. 

For most individuals, wearing a mask is not a big deal and one becomes used to it after some time. However, there are others who find masks to be completely unnecessary and more annoying than useful. I personally feel that all Americans should be wearing masks during this pandemic, whether they cannot social distance, or they are with people they have not seen during the quarantine. 

Scientists claim that masks are helpful in slowing the spread of the virus, as they not only protect the wearer from outside germs, but they mostly protect others from the wearer’s own germs, which can spread from simply talking without a mask on. Another reason they are so useful is that a large percentage of coronavirus patients are asymptomatic and can walk around spreading the disease unknowingly. If everyone wore masks in public, the virus would not spread nearly as much. This is what we have been hearing for 6 months from scientists, the government, and the media, yet certain groups of people do not want to listen, and still refuse to wear a face covering.  

Wearing a mask could potentially be most important during the upcoming fall season, as some believe that the virus will have a second wave and infect more individuals before winter. Hopefully, of course, this is not the case, but we as a society need to unite and continue to fight Covid-19 together, and wearing masks is the simplest way to help the cause.