To Mask Or Not To Mask Is The Question

Since COVID-19 turned the world upside down in 2020 by infecting millions, hundreds of thousands have died from the coronavirus and its variants, and many debates in healthcare circles concerning the wearing of masks continue.

OSHA has set standards concerning the level of carbon dioxide that can be present in confined quarters at workplaces.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been detected in testing done of subjects wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and respirators.

However, the elevated levels have remained below NIOSH’s recommended levels, and KN-95 masks, the recommended mask, has been found to raise the CO2 level but well within the limits of OSHA’s standards.

Some parents have taken their children out of public schools because of the masking requirement, fearing that the elevated level of CO2 will have harmful impacts on their children.

Newly elected Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 2, a 14-page document, on Jan. 15, and parents whose children attend the Chesapeake School System immediately legally challenged it.

Youngkin remains confident that the Virginia Supreme Court will uphold Executive Order 2, and after learning about the legal challenge, Youngkin said, “I have said all along that we’re going to stand up for parents.”

He believes that the choice of wearing a mask in school should be left up to the parents to decide for their children rather than be mandated by the government.

The current CDC recommendation is that all children two and older should wear masks despite their vaccination status.

While the issue is being resolved in the Supreme Court of Virginia, Youngkin encouraged parents to be patient. He advised, “In the meantime, I urge parents to listen to their principal and trust the legal process.”

It seems that the question of whether to mask or not to mask will soon be decided by the Supreme Court of Virginia.