Months of magical thinking may be coming to an end. As other nations emerge from lockdowns and enter into recovery, the United States is now seeing a second phase of restrictions after having ignored experts on what it takes to slow the spread of the pandemic in many states. While the factual and moral imperatives for wearing a face covering weren’t heeded, a new appeal seems to be making headway: the economic benefits of masks amid COVID-19.
(If you’re wondering what the title has to do with this post, you haven’t been quarantining at home with The Youth, who’ve been showcasing their incredible talents on TikTok and are now probably trying to figure out which app they’ll need to invent next in order to get away from The Adults.)
Potentially crushing consequences for American economy as world begins reopening without us
Over the last week, it’s become much more clear that in the U.S. the virus is nowhere near disappearing by July, and that while nations around the globe start to ramp back up, America is instead shutting back down as COVID-19 cuts an incredibly lethal swath. For global corporations, this is especially distressing as they face the challenges of U.S. citizens not being allowed to travel freely to conduct business.
Just a few examples of news surrounding these areas:
- The EU has banned American citizens until COVID-19 is controlled in the states
- The CDC has said this week that the coronavirus is spreading too quickly for the U.S. to be able to rein it in
- The U.S. has seen the biggest spike in cases yet
- States are shutting down again and pausing planned re-openings
- In testimony before the Senate, Dr. Fauci warned that without wearing masks, there will be no way to curtail an even worse outbreak of the virus
- In Oklahoma, for two days they had a 100% positive rate on all COVID tests performed (I didn’t want to believe that, either, so here’s a link to the data.)
https://twitter.com/BeccaLodahl/status/1277862893212495873?s=20
Q. So, how do we get out of this dilemma and achieve what we all want: the re-opening of the economy and a semblance of normalcy?
A. Masks.
We can come back: The economic benefits of masks
Fresh research by Goldman Sachs reveals that with a national mandate for wearing masks, we could save the U.S. economy $1 trillion. “If a face mask mandate meaningfully lowers coronavirus infections, it could be valuable not only from a public health perspective but also from an economic perspective because it could substitute for renewed lockdowns that would otherwise hit GDP,” the researchers wrote.
We’re also seeing people formerly outspoken about not wearing masks changing course – finally acquiescing that the scientists were right after all – while other states double-down on mandated masks in public.
As a nation, the divisions among us have been laid bare; America is suffering in countless ways. If we ever hope to find our way back, it seems a fair place to start would be by agreeing on an established and verified set of facts, and that history is an excellent teacher. We can learn from our mistakes; evolve, grow, rise up.
But first, please, put on a mask.
