California Residents Refuse to Wear Face Masks Despite Studies it could Lower Transmission
As California seeks to reopen its economy rapidly, residents in some parts of the state refused to wear face masks amid the rising number of coronavirus cases.
The revolt and the politics surrounding face coverings became clear this week after Dr Nichole Quick, Orange County's former chief health officer, resigned from her position on Monday. According to the Business Insider, the move came after she received death threats for requiring residents to wear face masks while observing social distancing protocols.
Before her resignation, the former health official received public backlash, with protesters storming a Board of Supervisors meeting while bearing a banner depicting Quick as a Nazi. Another incident involved county residents reading her home address aloud and threatening to protest outside her house.
Easing Requirements
Dr Quick was replaced by interim chief health officer Dr Clayton Chau who rescinded the face-mask order on Thursday. In a report by the New York Post, the newly-appointed health official said face coverings were no longer mandatory. Instead, the county "strongly recommends" masks to curb the spread of the virus.
Chau clarifies his decision to pull back Quick's order was not due to intense community pressure. He claims it was to keep the county in line with state guidelines which do not require masks.
"I want to be clear: This does not diminish the importance of face coverings," said Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr Clayton Chau, who is now also the interim health officer. "I stand with the public health experts and believe wearing cloth face coverings helps to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community and save lives."
Lowering Transmission
Health experts expressed their concern over the action of Orange County officials. They claimed the rebellion about masks would make it harder to prevent new outbreaks of the virus.
In a study published on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers determined wearing a mask is the most effective way in stopping a person-to-person spread of the coronavirus.
A team of scientists in Texas and California compared the trend of coronavirus infections in Italy and New York before and after local governments required face coverings. The report showed infection rates in both locations began to flatten after the public was ordered to wear masks.
The researchers determined that the masks may have helped in preventing over 78,000 infections in Italy between April 6 and May 9. In New York, mandatory use of face coverings prevented 66,000 infections between April 17 and May 9 in New York, CNN reports.
In northern Italy, some regions began requiring masks on April 6. The government imposed a mandatory nationwide use order on May 4. In New York, face coverings were required starting April 17.
The study also noted that while federal health organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted preventing contact transmission, they neglected the possibility of airborne transmission.