MSNBC Doctor Urges Resuming COVID Face Mask Use

A Doctor’s Urgent⁢ Message: Time to Mask Up Again

“A‌ mask can be your best friend. ⁢Keep it. Back in time, we had them in our pockets, in our coats, and our backpacks. Time​ to bring them out again,” emphasized contributor and former Obama administration official Kavita Patel on​ Tuesday. “Especially as the school season starts, we don’t ‌want to see kids missing school ⁤for ​things that we could⁢ have prevented.”

The ​segment on MSNBC highlighted the concerning rise in COVID-19 cases across ⁤the country. During the week of July 15, ​over 7,100 individuals with COVID were hospitalized, marking the highest percentage increase since December.

While⁣ acknowledging⁣ that this spike ‌is not as​ severe as in previous ‌years, Patel stated, ⁣”We are​ not seeing anywhere‌ near the dramatic rises that we saw in previous summers or previous years, that’s good news.”

However, Patel emphasized the⁢ importance of​ remaining vigilant, particularly‌ in “crowded spaces.”

Changing Perceptions

Interestingly, a recent poll revealed a shift in beliefs about ​the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time, a majority of Democrats stated that they‌ believe the pandemic is over.

According to June data from Gallup, 51 percent of Democrats now think the pandemic has‍ ended, marking a 23-point increase since February. This is the first time since June 2021, when Gallup began⁤ asking, ‍that a majority of ‌Democrats have expressed this view. In comparison, 84 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of independents believe the pandemic‌ is over.

Furthermore, ⁣the survey revealed‍ that only 2 percent of U.S. adults are “very worried” about contracting⁣ the virus. Interestingly, 29 percent of Democrats are not worried at all about ⁤getting the⁣ virus,⁢ compared ⁣ to 71 percent of Republicans.

It ​was in⁤ April 2022 when a majority of Republicans first expressed their belief that the pandemic is over.