THE NEW YORK TIMES -- “There is pretty broad support for mask mandates even among Republicans,” said Martha Louise Lincoln, a medical historian at San Francisco State University. “But among extreme right-wing voters there’s still a perception that they’re a sign of weakness or a symbol of being duped.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines on November 10, advocating more clearly than before that everyone, infected or healthy, should wear a mask.
Various studies, involving machines puffing fine mists, have shown that high-quality masks can significantly reduce the spread of pathogens between people in conversation.
“We’re facing extremely complex and poorly understood dynamics around disinformation, conspiratorial theories, paranoia and mistrust,” Dr. Lincoln noted.