Will Americans wear masks to prevent sickness beyond COVID-19?
Americans may be adopting masking habits routine for other global citizens who wear them to block the spread of flu and other respiratory diseases.
The mask felt stifling—suctioned to her face in a way that made it seem difficult to breathe. But Susan Hale Gidlow wore it anyway, walking from her Los Angeles home to the grocery store as quickly as she could, dashing in and out, and breathing a sigh of relief when she was able to take it off.
“I felt a little claustrophobic,” the 60-year-old says. Within weeks, though, she grew to love her mask.
Research has shown that masks offer protection against a variety of respiratory pathogens, including SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And even as localized mask battles rage across the United States, many people continue to see value in the face coverings that have protected people from COVID-19.
Gidlow is
