why do I (still*) mask? a lot of reasons:
*yes, still, in 2026
Wearing a high-quality mask is a practical way to reduce airborne illness risk (COVID, flu, RSV, and more).
COVID is not mild. COVID has not become mild. It is vascular and causing internal damage with every infection, even if you don’t feel it (yet). From March 10, 2025 NY Times: A Clearer Picture of Covid’s Lasting Effects on the Body
COVID is airborne. It spreads through the air like smoke. 6 feet of distance (even outdoors) doesn’t stop cigarette smoke from reaching you, and it doesn’t stop COVID.
Masks work. High-quality masks (like N95 respirators) are effective at blocking the virus. (No, not the same as cloth or surgical masks)
Asymptomatic spread is real.
Vaccines reduce disease severity but don’t stop COVID transmission. Vaccinated people still spread COVID.
Repeat infections are bad. Numerous studies have shown that getting reinfected causes 2-3X more organ and system damage, hospitalization, or death.
September 2024 article: What Repeat COVID Infections Do to Your Body, According to Science
COVID weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to other infections. Children who have had COVID then have a much higher rate of RSV, strep throat, and pneumonia infections. If you want a strong immune system, you should avoid COVID. From March 2025: Kids keep getting sicker as evidence for COVID immune damage builds
Long COVID is debilitating and disabling. Study-after-study shows about 10-30% of people who have had COVID have long-term health problems, including brain damage and diabetes.
October 2024 study where all the infected patients showed signs of cognitive/memory loss and none of them THOUGHT they had any.
Long COVID can happen to anyone. The majority of Long COVID cases happen after a ‘mild’ infection.
Long COVID can pop-up later. Long COVID issues might not appear until months or even years after the initial “mild” infection.
Unmitigated COVID means disabled people are segregated from society. If you care about disability rights, you should wear a mask.
No single public health tool is 100% effective. That’s why we need layers of protections.
Here are some additional resources to better understand why I mask:
- Why are people wearing masks in 2025
- Back to School: the Case for Masks (written by a Seattle pediatrician in August, 2024)
- It’s Never Too Late to Do Better
- Everything “That Friend” Wants You to Know About Covid
Want to wear a mask but not sure where to find a higher-quality one?
Here are some reliable options I like:
- Breatheteq – lightweight, breathable KN95s
- WellBefore – wide range of KN95 and N95 options, including different fits
- Powecom (via BonafideMasks) – trusted KN95s with verified authenticity
- 3M Aura Masks – widely available, including at many local hardware stores
- If cost or access is a barrier, you can also find your local Mask Bloc, which provides free high-quality masks to communities: https://maskbloc.org/