Health Exemptions Won’t Work: Why #Mask Bans are Fundamentally Flawed — Jews for Mask Rights
▻https://www.jewsformaskrights.com/resources/health-exemptions-wont-work-why-mask-bans-are-fundamentally-flawe
People wear masks for a variety of reasons that would not qualify for an exemption:
Protecting Loved Ones: Individuals with no #health #risks of their own may need to protect people in their lives. They might live with an immunocompromised spouse or child, be a caretaker for an elderly parent, or even be medical professionals choosing to protect their patients or educators protecting their students.
Personal Health: Masks are simple yet effective barriers against #COVID-19, #measles, and #flu. They’re useful tools for people who don’t want to get sick or whose work or personal life doesn’t afford them the luxury of falling ill. They also protect against #allergens, #air #pollution, and wildfire smoke.
Avoiding Long COVID: 10% of cases result in post-COVID complications, even in those with mild infections and no prior risk factors. Long COVID can damage organs, impair #brain function, and weaken the #immune system. Repeat #infections increase these risks. The only way to prevent Long COVID is to avoid contracting COVID-19 altogether.
Preventing Spread: New variants may take up to 4 days to test positive, so someone could be contagious before a test confirms it. Although evidence shows that people with SARS-COV-2 are infectious for about 9 days, guidelines suggest just 1 day of isolation. This pressures those with limited paid time off to work while sick.
Protecting Community: Masks help prevent COVID-19 transmission from asymptomatic and presymptomatic cases. This collective effort is vital during high transmission periods to ease the burden on healthcare systems and protect public health.
