The article that will be discussed in this paper studies the effects of wearing a face mask for controlling the spread of COVID-19, which falls under the category of health policy. The researchers conducted an epidemiological analysis of confirmed cases of infection. The study outlined a list of mask-on and mask-off settings and compared the number of coronavirus clusters in each scenario. The results showed only three clusters in mask-on environments, compared to 11 clusters in places where people did not use personal protective equipment (Cheng et al., 2020). The paper also highlights that the widespread use of masks by healthy people remains a controversial issue, stating that a report from WHO announced that there is no evidence that it prevents infection.
The focus of the article is providing a definitive answer to the issue of wearing a mask and suggesting an optimal public health management policy. The problem of the discrepancy in mask-related guidelines and regulations is not clearly stated in the introduction, but can be seen in the main body of the article. The issue of mask-related guidelines is said to be particularly important, as adopting universal mask-wearing policies may hinder the spread of COVID-19 (Cheng et al., 2020). The purpose of the paper is to confirm or debunk this hypothesis using the findings from data analysis. The key terms are outlined on the title page, and some of them are defined in the introduction. The article can be characterized as practical, as it covers a current issue that concerns millions of people. The study is limited to non-family settings, and cannot assess the degree to which people who do wear a mask comply with the associated recommendations.
Quality/Strength of Article
The article contains a substantial amount of accurate data from a variety of sources, as well as information gathered from new epidemiologic research. The reference list includes 37 sources, most of which are less than five years old. All of the papers cited are directly relevant to the topic of the study. Overall, the authors’ opinion that wearing a mask may help in limiting the spread of COVID-19 is not biased, as a wide range of factual information supports it.
Issue Analysis
The main issues associated with wearing a mask are the fact that it could be a hazard if the user does not do it correctly and the fact that it needs to be combined with other hygienic practices to be effective. One unintended factor is that wearing a mask for prolonged periods could increase an individual’s chance of infection, as potentially dangerous viruses could accumulate and multiply on its inner part. An intended consequence is that, while wearing a simple cloth mask with minimal changes to other behavior offers little protection, it is still noticeably better than not wearing one (Cheng et al., 2020). The health policy recommended by the study would significantly decrease the transmission rates of COVID-19.
Conclusion, Implications, and Recommendations
The topic of the article is relatively simple, so it does not provide a substantial amount of recommendations. The purpose of the article is to assess whether wearing a mask by all members of a community could have a positive impact on public health. Consequently, its conclusion confirms that such a policy would prevent people that exhibit little or no symptoms from aiding the spread of the disease. The author suggests that everyone should have a reusable mask, self-sanitizing gloves, as well as other equipment aimed at combating infectious illnesses if it is available (Cheng et al., 2020). No strengths or weaknesses of the approach were explicitly mentioned, although the subject of the study focuses on the main advantage of wearing a mask, and the limited scope of the study could be viewed as a weakness.
Agreement or Disagreement
The authors’ conclusion is difficult to disagree with, as it is built on a respectable amount of accurate data that was gathered and analyzed for this paper. The purpose of writing the article is to inform people, healthcare professionals, and policymakers in all parts of the world of the positive impact of wearing a mask (Cheng et al., 2020). I agree with the author’s statement that everyone should use personal protective equipment because masks can stop or slow down microscopic droplets of saliva, thus significantly reducing the risk of infection (World Health Organization, 2020a). The authors’ advice is also justified by the fact that people who do not exhibit symptoms of the coronavirus might still be carriers (World Health Organization, 2020b). These arguments mean that wearing a mask is advisable even for people who feel and look perfectly healthy, supporting the authors’ conclusion.
Professional Projections
The article is significant to public health because it analyses data from reliable sources to resolve an issue that affects all communities. Applying the knowledge gained from this experience is comfortable in both professional and recreational activities. In my work, I will continue wearing a protective mask and gloves, in addition to maintaining the highest standards of personal hygiene. More importantly, I will spread this mentality to my colleagues and clients to create a safety culture in my institution.
References
Cheng, V. C. C., Wong, S. C., Chuang, V. W. M., So, S. Y. C., Chen, J. H. K., Sridhar, S., To, K. K. W., Chan, J. F. W., Hung, I. F. N., Ho, P. L., & Yuen, K. Y. (2020). The role of community-wide wearing of face mask for control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic due to SARS-CoV-2. Journal of Infection, 81(1), 107–114. Web.
World Health Organization. (2020a). Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance-2. Web.
World Health Organization. (2020b). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report. Web.