To Mask or Not to Mask, That is the Question

Just when we thought it was okay to stash the N95 masks, we’re being told we need to wear them outdoors now to protect ourselves from the effects of smoke from Canadian wildfires. We’re all dealing with mask burnout after three years of Covid, so it’s easy to ignore the most recent warnings and just go on about our business.

Unlike the masks we wore during the worst of the pandemic, which protected an entire community, now masking only affects the people wearing them, so it’s important to consider individual health risk factors.

Sometimes the air quality affects only those who are older or have particular health problems, and sometimes the air is bad for everyone. This article from NPR spells out what you need to know to make an informed decision about masking during periods of high air pollution.

Although the risk from the current wildfires has waned, we know that heat and droughts caused by climate change are increasing the likelihood and severity of wildfires. There will be a next time, so be ready for it.

Smoky haze from the Canadian wildfires fills the air in downtown Detroit. Image courtesy of Beth Reeber Valone