I’ve started seeing more and more articles posted on social media with titles like this one. Medical Doctor Warns that “Bacterial Pneumonias Are on the Rise” from Mask Wearing. What these articles actually talk about is the danger of wearing contaminated face masks; either repeatedly wearing the same disposable mask or wearing a cloth mask without changing and washing it regularly.
Interestingly, I’ve never seen anyone post an article warning us to stop wearing underwear! What? What does that have to do with anything? Quite a lot, actually.
Davidson Hamer, infectious disease specialist and professor of global health and medicine at Boston University, says that while there have actually been no documented cases of masks leading to fungal or bacterial infections of the upper airway or the lower airway as in pneumonia, bacterial growth could possibly occur if someone wore a mask that was contaminated. “Theoretically, it could happen, but it’s highly unlikely with just typical mask use.” Anne Monroe, an internal medicine physician and epidemiologist at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health agrees “In terms of mask use, it is important to follow general sanitation guidelines,” she says.
Exactly the same thing is true of underwear. For both men and women, failing to wear clean underwear every day can be problematic. For those of us with vaginas, moisture build up in the nether regions is normal. It’s common knowledge that lack of cleanliness in this area can lead to rashes and infection. While men may not be quite as susceptible, they too can get yeast and urinary tract infections.
So why are people advocating that we stop wearing facial masks, but not that we stop wearing underwear? The articles that I’ve seen are often posted by anti maskers, those who would have us stop wearing facial coverings altogether as opposed to simply following good hygiene. In other words, they’d have us throw the baby out with the bathwater! My question for them would be, are you also anti pantie?
Just treat your mask like your underwear. Wear a clean one every day!
When my children were small, I told them that Mommy didn’t have a belly button! I was that self conscious about my stomach which was marred by stretch marks and a surgical scar. Now older, and I hope somewhat wiser, I realize that these aren’t ugly. They’re simply emblems of life and survival.
Following Augustine 