This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hello. I’m Art Caplan. I am in the Department of Medical Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City.
I have recently seen the ban and am very concerned and concerned and strongly oppose it. Nassau County, on Long Island about 90 miles east of New York City, has banned the use of masks.
Basically a standard medical mask would be captured, but I think the purpose of doing this was to discourage people participating in political protests from wearing masks to hide their identity. . They’re basically trying to stop it. I think this has been particularly caused by the protests against the Israeli invasion, the war in Gaza, and the demonstrations that are taking place across the country where many people are masked.
You may have a question about what to wear when going to a demo. I don’t claim to know about that civil rights.
This comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is raging, is on the verge of recovery, is spreading rapidly, and is still killing 600 people a week. Flu season is almost upon us. There are also concerns about the possibility of avian influenza jumping into humans, and it’s exactly the wrong time to single out people who are trying to wear masks for health reasons.
Basically, there are two strong reasons. The first is that some people wear medical masks or masks because they have underlying health conditions. They may have had a transplant or feel immunocompromised for some reason. They are worried that if they don’t wear a mask, they will catch infections that are very dangerous to them, like COVID-19 or the flu.
Another reason people wear masks is to protect their families. They may have family members who are immunocompromised. Or maybe they are doing so kindly and altruistically to protect the rest of the population and prevent the spread of the virus.
These bans do not take public health into account. They are being brought out in the midst of demonstrations and political frenzy over political issues. I think they should be against it. I don’t think it should be enacted.
I believe that the medical rights of people with disabilities, people with immune disorders, and people who want to wear a mask to protect themselves from getting sick should be prioritized as infectious diseases continue to spread and kill people. I think so. In this case, public health should drive mask policy.
I’m Art Caplan of the Department of Medical Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Thank you for visiting.