A lot has changed in the last few days as we learn more about COVID-19. One of the newest changes is that health officials say we need to wear some kind of face covering when we leave our homes. It's completely different from the recommendation just a few weeks ago when they advised us not to wear masks if we weren't sick. So what changed?
Now it's believed that anywhere from 25 to 50% of people with COVID-19 may not show symptoms. That means you could be sick and not know it. If you go out and your face isn't covered, you will spread those germs and get other people sick without even realizing. So the point of wearing something like this is to protect other people, not necessarily you.
You need to be covering your face with something - a scarf, a bandana - we have a list of the most effective fabric on our website. But that's not the point of this 2 Cents.
It's this -- at least for me, seeing "regular" people out and about in this protective gear, instead of medical professionals in hospitals, it's a bit frightening. When you see someone in the grocery store with a face covering, it's like you're in another world or even a movie. It is unnerving and it stops me in my tracks.
But it also drives home the idea that this virus is real and it's affecting people we see everyday, and that could be a little scary too.
Here's the thing I have to keep telling myself: this isn't scary, it's safe. Right now it feels out of place but if we all get behind this idea of covering our faces to protect OTHER people, we'll keep our neighbors safe and that's not frightening that's fearless.
Stay home. Wash your hands. Keep your distance. And if you have to go out, cover your face.
That's 'My 2 Cents.'