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Masks: Are They Worth Keeping?
Weighing the Benefits and Challenges of Long-Term Masking
By Rhys Ng
Introduction
Masks are worn by people who are sick or want to prevent getting sick from certain diseases. In March 2020, Hong Kong made it mandatory for everyone to wear masks after the COVID outbreak reached Hong Kong. People who didn’t wear masks were fined $5000 according to HKFP. This was to make sure people don’t get sick from the virus.
Some people didn’t like wearing masks because they felt trapped inside them, but others felt safer with them because it reduced the chance of catching the virus. There were strong feelings and looming uncertainty.
Then, on March 1st, 2023, the government announced that the mask mandate would be lifted. This announcement incited feelings of excitement, freedom, and sometimes worried. The world we lived in for three years was about to change. What will come next? Will we be safe for long?
Context
Ever since March 1, many people in Hong Kong have been celebrating their freedom of not needing to wear a mask. The release of this mandate has been met with mixed reactions by Hong Kong education institutes. To determine how others in the Hong Kong education sector feel about this freedom, I conducted primary research by surveying the students, teachers, and staff at my school - The Harbour School. Furthermore, I conducted a literature review as part of the secondary research to better gauge how does the HK schooling community feel about masks?
Based on primary research conducted by surveying students at The Harbour School and secondary research conducted through a literature review, it seems that people in Hong Kong’s education are divided on how they feel about the mask mandate being lifted. Some think it won’t matter much, while others are worried about what it might mean.
Literature Review
Upon the release of this mandate, Jinshan Hong of Bloomberg reports: "With many still wearing them of their own volition, there is a growing debate over whether -- and how much -- damage is done to kids' development after 945 days of wearing masks. However, some academics believe that there has been a cost yet to be fully understood." This means they believe that masks have not yet been found to have an impact on children. According to Florrie Ng, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong: "Humans are pretty resilient, and it would be an overstatement to assert that wearing a mask for years would cause permanent harm.". It's misleading to say masks do not have any impact on us. If you don't see a smile, you can only see a frown; it's unhealthy for kids." Jinshan Hong explains that, according to the local health department, “new diagnoses of speech and language problems and delays or disorders among kids under age 12 have increased by 26% to just over 5,400 in 2021, compared to 2019 before the pandemic.”
Now, we have seen the teachers' and admins’ opinions. Let’s see the student’s thoughts.
Jinshan Hong recalls: “The day the mandate lifted, I walked into my usual French class after work and realized it was the first time I’d ever seen the faces of my teacher and classmates. I could now analyze their facial expressions and lip movements and learned I’d been mispronouncing quite a few words.” (Bloomberg, 2023)
However, Stacy Shi argues: “Meanwhile, some lawmakers called for attention to children’s physical and mental health as many children are anxious about not wearing a mask and continue to wear masks when they are out.” (The Standard, 2023)
On the other hand, Jinshan Hong claims: “It left me hoping that any children in their prime language-learning windows who experience similar confusion will be able to correct errors more quickly than I did.” (Bloomberg, 2023)
On the other hand, Jinshan Hong claims: “It left me hoping that any children in their prime language-learning windows who experience similar confusion will be able to correct errors more quickly than I did.” (Bloomberg, 2023)
Primary Data Analysis
To understand how staff and students at THS feel about the Post-COVID Mask Era, a survey was conducted to gather their opinions about the lifting of the mask mandate. In total, 90% of the respondents were students, while the remaining 10% comprised teachers and admin. Most of the respondents were from Upper Primary (56%) and Middle School (39%), with only a small percentage from High School (1.7%) and Lower Primary (3.3%).
Moreover, 98% of the respondents had been vaccinated against COVID, mainly receiving two to three vaccinations. Almost half of the respondents (48%) do not wear masks, while some (39%) wear masks occasionally, and the rest (13%) still wear masks, primarily concerned about catching COVID or being unwell (46%). Most respondents (65%) do not wear masks during their commute, while 33% wear them during their commute.
Regarding crowded areas, 67% of the respondents still wear masks, whereas 33% no longer wear masks. On average, 31% of respondents do not wear masks when they go out in public, with most wearing masks for around an hour or two a day. The main reason for continuing to wear masks is that they have been wearing them for the last three years, and it doesn’t bother them (39%) and a large portion is concerned about catching COVID or being ill (46%)..
Finally, 65% of the respondents have had COVID, and among those who caught it, 35% reported moderately severe symptoms. Overall, the survey indicates that while many respondents are no longer wearing masks, there is still a significant portion of them concerned about their health and still continue to wear masks, especially in crowded places.
40% of the respondents shared their belief that removing the mask mandate would not significantly impact the number of COVID-19 cases. Interestingly, most respondents feel that the removal of masks would have a positive impact on their social interactions and their social and emotional well-being. Moreover, a large number of respondents do not have any fear of contracting COVID-19.
Overall, seems that THS is pro the lifting of the mask mandate. To access more precise data, please go to the end of the article in the appendix section.
Based on the research gathered from my survey, it appears that the majority of THS respondents are in favor of the lifting of the mask mandate. To access more precise data, please refer to the appendix section at the end of the article.
Conclusion and Evaluation
Comparing the two sources, THS’s perspective leans more toward the lifting of the mask mandate, with many respondents citing reasons such as being able to breathe properly, having the freedom to not wear a mask, seeing people’s faces again, and boosting social well-being. Additionally, the COVID symptoms experienced by the respondents were reportedly mild, further contributing to their preference to not wear masks. In contrast, some students in local schools in Hong Kong are still debating whether to remove their masks. Although the two sources present different viewpoints, it is a matter of personal preference which one to prefer. My perspective personally aligns with THS’s! What about you? Will you still follow safety and wear a mask, or do you want to uncover your face in the open world?
Appendix
My questionnaire - https://forms.gle/ineC2bVanbN2xegFA
My data
Sources
News sites and websites