Why masks matter more for this coronavirus
To start, this coronavirus is a new virus, which means our immune systems have never encountered it before. It’s different from the seasonal flu, which most of us have some protection from, either because of previous exposure to related influenza viruses or because we got a flu shot. One of the biggest worries is that health workers, who get vaccinated to stay well during flu season, have no protection from coronavirus.
It’s also important to note that the flu season happens over a period of several months. Coronavirus has spread much more rapidly, infecting a concentrated number of patients — and resulting in tens of thousands of cases of Covid-19 — in a matter of weeks.
An estimated 25 percent of people with coronavirus feel perfectly fine and don’t know they are infected and could be contagious. And guess what? You could very well be one of them! That’s why you should wear a mask to protect other people from your stealth germs.