They Can Mess With Your SightIf you're wearing a poorly-fitting mask, like the crappy home-made ones I was wearing early on in the pandemic, sure, they can mess with your sight. Solution: wear a properly-fitting mask, like the ones I switched to a few weeks in. I haven't had issues with a mask interfering with my vision since last April, now that I'm wearing better masks.
They Can Be UncomfortableIf you're wearing the crappy disposable masks or a poorly-fitting mask, again, sure. Solution: try different types and styles of masks until you find one that is comfortable. The masks I switched to last April fit much better and feel much better. Since then, I've also experimented with other masks and found they didn't feel right on my face at all, but they fit my wife's face just fine. If you think masks are just uncomfortable, period, blanket statement, chances are pretty good that you're just wearing the wrong mask for you. The right one is out there... just gotta find it.
They Can Cause Glasses to FogVery true, but not a problem for me since I don't wear glasses. My wife wears glasses, so she's had to get creative at times to keep her glasses from fogging up, but there are ways to limit or avoid fogging. And at the end of the day, my wife would rather deal with foggy glasses than deal with catching COVID-19 -- or worse yet, catching COVID-19, becoming an asymptomatic carrier, and spreading it to people around her because she doesn't want to wear a mask because they make her glasses fog up. This is called being a responsible and selfless member of society. We live in a society.
They Can Force You to Inadvertently Draw Closer During ConversationsVery true, but that's not a good reason to take off your mask. Solution: pay more attention to your distancing. Remember, the CDC says to maintain six feet AND wear a mask *at the same time.* If you're regularly spending time less than six feet away from other people, which is already a terrible idea, refusing to wear a mask will make that
worse.
They Can Foster a False Sense of SecurityVery true, especially since masks do more to protect people around you FROM you (in case you're an asymptomatic carrier and don't know it) than they do to protect you from the people around you. Wearing a mask does offer you some protection, though, so it's still an improvement over *not* wearing one. A mask is not a magical virus shield that will allow you to hang out in crowded rooms full of unmasked people with impunity, just like a seat belt is not a magical injury shield that will let you walk away from car crashes unscathed. But somehow I doubt you tell all of your friends that wearing a seat belt just fosters a false sense of security while driving. Masks and seat belts both improve your odds -- wear them.
They Can Spread Disease if Not WashedYep. Solution: change paper masks frequently, and wash your cloth masks regularly. I mean, you wash your clothes, right? At least, I *hope* you wash your clothes. Just toss your cloth masks in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry. I mean hell, your
shirt can spread disease if it's not washed either, but the solution to that isn't to stop wearing shirts.
They Can Hurt Children Under Two—Or Others Who Are IncapacitatedYep, which is why the CDC recommends that children under the age of two shouldn't wear masks. But... are you a child under the age of two? No? Then wear a mask.
They Can Cause Skin IrritationI've been wearing masks since last March, and honestly, my skin is doing better. But I have heard of people suffering from "maskne," so it's a thing. But just like with the fogged-glasses point, there are ways to deal with that while continuing to wear a mask, and if my choices are A.) risk getting more zits or B.) risk catching COVID-19 and spreading it to others, I'll take A.) in a heartbeat.
They Cover up your good looksI'm not even going to dignify that with a response.
They Can Cause Asthmatic Issues.I don't know enough about asthma to know if this is true or not, but I *do* know that people with asthma are especially susceptible to the symptoms and effects of COVID-19. If you have asthma, you'll have to do your own research and weigh the risks of wearing a mask versus the risks of being infected with COVID-19. If you don't have asthma, this doesn't apply to you, so... wear a mask.
