Nurses know masks can help stop virus

As America’s most trusted profession (Gallup Poll 2020) for 18 years in a row, we as nurses understand the importance of protecting our own health, as well as that of our patients. Whether we are nurses at the bedside in hospitals; nurses in our schools helping students and staff alike; whether we are nurse practitioners in our own clinics or offices; or nurse midwives delivering babies, we know we must help stop the spread of this virus.

One way to do that is to wear a mask. It’s not fun. Some of us with our other health care colleagues wear it 10-12 hours a day. We know it works to slow the spread of a virus that has killed so many people in our country.

In Japan, where there was no lockdown, subways still running, businesses are open, including karaoke bars, and only 744 people have died in their population of 128 million. Over 100,000 of our people have died in our country of 328 million. What are they doing? They all wear masks everywhere and they social distance. In South Korea, they have 263 deaths in their 52 million population. Everyone wears masks.

New studies and sophisticated computer models make the case for mask-wearing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. One group of researchers found if a majority of people, around 90%, wore masks in public, we could flatten the curve, cutting infections by 80%. (Research & Scientific Models from Dr. DeKai UC Berkeley International

Computer Science Institute and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology). If we follow the science, if we all participate, we will all be safer.

We will wear our masks in public to protect you. Will you wear yours to protect us and our fellow New Mexicans? LINDA SIEGLE, Representing the New Mexico Nurses Association; American College of Nurse Midwives New Mexico Chapter; New Mexico Nurse Practitioner Council; New Mexico School Nurses Association.

Santa Fe