Dr. Ed Iannuccilli: Once Masks Were Fun - King Tut He Was
Monday, May 11, 2020
My neighbor stopped, at a distance, of course, to say hello. He was wearing a mask that he made from a striped sock. “I like the look.”
Muffled words leaked through the cotton, “Mum . . . muph, King Tut.”
Everywhere I go, albeit not far these days, I see people wearing masks. Good for them! They are necessary in this pandemic because they help to keep us from spreading or contracting the virus. The last time I saw so many masks was in the hospital. I wore one to enter the room of a patient in barrier or to go to the operating room where everybody wore them. That was, and this is, serious business, but in my youth, masks were mostly fun.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAt Halloween, I wore one as part of my costume to become my favorite masked characters: Superman, The Lone Ranger, or a ‘bad guy’ with a bandana. I once wore a gas mask and played ‘Army’ in the local hills, mimicking the soldiers in the WW II movies. Today, some of the most iconic images from movies wear masks, like Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs, or Darth Vader.
Whereas those masks were entertainment, today’s are not. For centuries, masks have been used for numerous reasons, e. g. to ward off evil spirits (sound familiar?), for protection, like the welder’s mask, gas masks, and shields on gladiators’ helmets. And now, the critical masks for our health care workers.
So why the masks? A mask will do a good job of reminding you not to touch your face, something that can increase your chances of becoming infected with the coronavirus. In some studies, it has been noted that people touch their faces up to twenty times per hour. A mask may protect you from an infected person’s sneeze or cough droplets. The droplets can be caught or directed downwards.
A significant portion of those infected with coronavirus don’t show symptoms. Under those circumstances, a mask may protect you. A few studies have suggested that widespread use of face masks by the public may have reduced transmission in outbreaks of influenza and SARS which, like Covid-19, are respiratory diseases.
Put the mask on with clean hands, replace it as soon as it becomes damp, remove it from behind without touching the front, wash your hands afterward, and dispose of the mask properly. Do not reuse a mask made for a single use.
An important note: The use of masks by healthy people may create a false sense of security, leading some to neglect essential measures such as hand-washing, disinfecting surfaces, avoiding people who are sick, and keeping a distance from others. A mask does not eliminate the need for these precautions.
Face masks are like King Tut’s gold. Treat them as such. Wear them. Listen to experts. Pandemics can threaten your life. They should threaten your conscience also.
After all, it’s no joke. It’s not kids play. It’s serious. We should listen to the hoofbeat of fear.
Dr. Ed Iannuccilli is a retired gastroenterologist, is former Chairman of the Board at Rhode Island Hospital, a Clinical Professor Emeritus at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, long time academic and entrepreneur.
As the author of three popular memoirs, “Growing up Italian; Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories”, “What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner” and “My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High.” Learn more here.
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