Could face masks become an ongoing trend?

The experts we spoke with agree that until the threat of this pandemic has been neutralized, people should embrace the protection masks allow them to provide to those around them.

After all, it’s not necessarily about you — it’s about everyone you come in contact with.

It’s not at all uncommon to be an asymptomatic carrier of the new coronavirus — which means that even if you have no symptoms at all, you could potentially transmit the virus to someone who could then become gravely ill or even die.

A mask, alongside frequent handwashing and physical distancing measures, like staying at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart, reduces that risk.

But could this be a trend that continues even after COVID-19? And perhaps the more important question: Should it?

“As we start to navigate life beyond the stay-at-home orders, we likely will need to continue to use face masks if we want to prevent continued transmission,” Kennedy said.

But she’s unsure of what the future may hold beyond that.

“Once the threat of COVID-19 is gone, I don’t think that ongoing use of face masks in public has to continue, though it remains to be seen whether we will adopt ongoing face mask use just as we have seen in Asian countries,” Kennedy said.