7 Reasons We Should Continue Wearing Masks

Three years into the worst pandemic in human history, many people are becoming understandably complacent. Despite masks being perfectly effective at preventing the spread of coronavirus, people have been wearing them less than ever before since 2019. If protecting yourself and everyone around you isn’t enough of a reason to put on a mask, here are some more reasons why you should get in the habit of wearing at least a cloth mask. 

1) Wearing a mask creates some amount of resistance when you inhale, depending on how thick the mask is. This causes the respiratory muscles (diaphragm, intercostals, etc.) to strengthen. It’s like using light ankle weights to improve your leg strength. The decreased oxygen intake also trains the body to produce more red blood cells, which increases the body’s oxygen-carrying capacity. The increase in red blood cells (polycythemia) also causes the blood to become thicker, which minimizes catastrophic bleeding by improving clotting. 

2) It is inevitable that some people spit a little bit while speaking. When this occurs, their saliva can land on your face. This is extremely unpleasant and can spread many diseases. In many professions, including mine, the people you encounter might purposely spit at you. This can be totally prevented by wearing a mask at all times. 

3) Do you have a bad poker face? I sure do. I literally never win at poker or similar games, because I cannot keep a straight face. I also hate it when I fail to resist the urge to laugh at people in public when they act foolishly. My mask has saved me in numerous situations in which I did not want others to see my face. 

4) Speaking of the desire to want one’s face to be private, have you grown concerned with the millions of surveillance cameras throughout the united states? Were you aware that many of them have facial recognition technology embedded in them? What better way to protect your privacy from this Orwellian surveillance than to wear a mask at all times? 

5) The resistance from the mask makes it slightly harder to exhale carbon dioxide. This inevitably leads to some degree of co2 retention. In the body, co2 is converted to carbonic acid, which lowers the pH of the blood. Being slightly acidotic has many benefits, including increasing metabolism (lose weight easily!), making it harder for viruses and bacteria to thrive in your body, shifting the oxy-hemoglobin dissociation curve, and making your body accustomed to living with mild acidosis. Being that acid is essentially synonymous with protons, this state literally means that your body has a more positive charge! 

6) Masks are generally very sanitary, but they do eventually pick up some pathogens. These viruses and bacteria will make their way into your lungs and into your bloodstream. This will force your body’s immune system to constantly exercise and gain more information, which allows it to protect you from a larger amount of diseases much more effectively. If you want a strong immune system, wear a mask every day. The dirtier the better.

7) Have you seen Americans? Compared to individuals in other parts of the world, Americans are severely unattractive. Studies show that viewing more attractive people on a regular basis can increase libido, improve mood, and support overall health. Seeing ugly faces can do the opposite, of course. The more people cover their faces with masks, the better off we will all be!

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Liberty Block or any of its members. We welcome all forms of serious feedback and debate.