If you had asked me on January 1, 2020 – New Year’s Day here in the United States – if I thought I’d be writing up medical face masks scant months later, my answer would have been no.

But here we are. It’s April 2 and Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of Washington, DC, just announced that anyone leaving their homes for a non-essential activity faces arrest and conviction followed by 90 days in jail (cooped up with other COVID-19 patients) and a $5,000 fine.

The updated DC Stay At Home Order went into effect on April Fool’s Day (April 1) but this is no joke, as residents attest. The enforced social isolation to stem the tide of contagion in the nation’s capital will remain in effect until April 24 unless changed by future legislation.

Mercedes Schlapp tweeted her outrage at the summary decision from the Capital government:

“This is insane. Criminal penalties? DC. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) creates an order that says Washingtonians must stay at home unless they have essential business. The new order carries criminal penalties and fines of up to $5,000.”

Following replies played the bipartisan blame game – always great for hours of mindless entertainment! – until one calm voice from Noah Mitchell pierced the frenzy:

“There is a pandemic going on. just thought I’d let you know.”

Quite so.

Social distancing, self-isolating at home, and observing strict hygienic procedures have become the “new normal” around the world, especially in places hardest hit. One former Iron Curtain country has tried since the first murmurings of the viral outbreak to keep ahead of the growth curve and slow the number of person-to-person transmitted infections.

On March 31, Czech Republic surpassed 3,000 reported COVID-19 reported cases in its population of 10.7 million. The number of new cases appears to be slowing to the point where government restrictions on daily life may be relaxed after the Easter holiday in April – if the disease is under control.

The Czech government was one of the first EU bodies to realize the potential severity of the highly contagious pathogen, springing into action soon after the virus arrived in Europe from Asia. Among the official restrictions are:

• Czech borders are closed to international travel. Anyone returning to the country is subject to mandatory home quarantine.
• The Czech government requires everyone to wear face masks in public and has banned gatherings of more than two people.

A YouTube video on the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) channel features an appealing Czech spokesperson with an important message for all of us grappling with COVID-19. She points out that her country has “significantly slowed down the spread of the virus.”

How did they do it?

“Everyone who leaves their house has to wear a face mask. Everyone.”

The Czech government states that researchers have proven that even home-made protective masks that cover the mouth and nose can provide partial protection from spreading these germs.

Masks prevent the fundamental transmission from you to others by sneezing, coughing, and breathing. Often, people are the most contagious in the incubation period, before any symptoms appear.

Here’s the bottom line:

“When we both have a face mask, I protect you and you protect me and we are both safe.”

Due to panicked last-minute prepping in many parts of the world, critical medical supplies sold out, leaving shelves bare of face masks and the disinfectant isopropyl alcohol.

The Czechs took matters into their own hands. The official spokesperson stated:

“Something incredible happened. People started making home-made masks and giving them to others for free.”

The department head of Chemistry and Aerosol Physics at the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Zdimal, Ph.D., also spoke out in the Czech video, explaining that a simple home-made face mask can prevent 95-100% of possibly-infectious microdroplets from escaping into shared air and surfaces.

Microbiologist and virologist Emil Pavlik, MD, Ph.D., added:

“The more people who use masks, the less the virus can be distributed and fewer individuals are exposed.”

The pessimistic FDA (Federal Drug Administration) “recognizes that the need by healthcare providers and personnel for personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks and…gowns, may outpace the supply” during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Not if red-blooded Americans have anything to say about it!

Props to Sabrina Roffman of New City, NY, who couldn’t sleep for thinking that “people are going to get sick and, if they do, who’s going to take care of [them]?”

Roffman and her Haverstraw friend, Tina LoPresti, started a community initiative from a social media group to organize volunteers to make extra masks for local health care staff.

The Masked Warriors Project was born and has grown to more than 1,400 members strong. Two Rockland County hospitals have received 400 stitched masks with 700 more ready for delivery, placed into authorized drop-off bins in the area.

Americans are realizing that we are all in this together. In the famous words of Patrick Henry:

“United we stand, divided we fall.”
– Patrick Henry, U.S. Patriot, March 1799

As I said at the beginning, I would never have guessed that 2020 would be the Year of the Mask. Go figure.