Four years after the mask mandate was lifted in Des Moines, Iowa, Erika Roehrs and her roommates agreed to wear masks in their kitchen when one of them got sick. She said they were just trying to stay healthy and ensure they didn’t spread germs when cooking. Roehrs isn’t the only student seeing potential in masks post-COVID.
“With the effects that COVID-19 had, a lot of people got scared about what could happen if you catch a serious illness, so anything that you can do to avoid getting sick is good practice,” Roehrs said.
Roehrs believes that COVID normalized wearing masks and thinks nothing of it when she sees other students wearing them around campus.
“It’s a personal preference if you feel more comfortable wearing a mask or sometimes if you get a sickness that’s not COVID-19, you’ll wear a mask, which I think is thoughtful,” Roehrs said.
Masks are no longer commonplace, though. A YouGov survey in 2023 showed that only 13% of respondents wore masks whenever they left their house. This survey also showed that 36% of people wear masks less often each month. In addition, PEW Research Center found that 85% of US Adults reported wearing masks or face covering most or all of the time back in August of 2020. These statistics are reflected at Drake, Roehrs said, noting that she recalls just four students in her class who regularly wear masks.
Senior Ahmed Abdel Fattah also said he sees fewer and fewer students wearing masks on campus nowadays, a trend he called “a good thing.”
“It means we feel safe and comfortable being out there,” Abdel Fattah said.
The consensus on campus, Abdel Fattah said, is that students should be able to do what is best for them when it comes to wearing a mask. He said many students view it as a personal choice and understand that those who wear a mask may have a reason to be extra precautious.
“Maybe they had a bad experience during COVID, like their family got sick, and they don’t want to see that happen to them or their families again,” Abdel Fattah said.
When learning about how viruses like COVID-19 spread and how masks protect against them in his virology class, Abdel Fattah said he realized the general public is unaware of how masks actually work. According to the CDC, scientifically, masks lower transmission rates for viruses. They act as a filter that reduces the number of germs the wearer breathes in and out.
“When people wear a mask, it’s not to protect them,” Abdel Fattah said. “It’s actually to protect other people.”
Nate Cederoth, a sophomore studying pre-pharmacy at Drake University, also said that most people who wear masks do it to prevent spreading germs more than to protect themselves. He said that he sees a lot of people wearing masks at the pharmacy he works at.
“They want to respect the people around them and ensure they feel safe,” Cederoth said. “The majority of people understand that when they come into a public place, especially after COVID, it’s the right time to use a mask, and they definitely use it way more than before COVID, especially if they’re sick,”
Anti-mask sentiments and comments grew amid maks mandates in 2020, but nowadays, Cederoth said he is much less likely to see someone shaming someone for wearing a mask in public.
“People still have those strong opinions, but they’re less likely to voice them because of how little people wear masks now,” Cederoth said.
Coming from a rural town in Illinois, junior Anna Snyder said she saw those adverse reactions to wearing masks during COVID, but she said it is different here and now that time has passed. On campus, she said the primary response she gets when wearing a mask is that people wonder if she is sick. Snyder believes that a neutral or more positive response to wearing masks allows people to take better care of themselves.
“[Positive reactions to masks] help people stay accountable for their health, which is not something I think people did a lot pre-COVID,” Snyder said. “Having the awareness to be like, ‘I’m sick. I don’t want to get other people sick. I should stay at home.’ Whereas I think a lot of times pre-COVID, it was like, ‘Well, if you’re good enough to come to work, if you’re good enough to go to school, just go.’”
Specific places and specific times make more sense to wear a mask, Roehrs said. For example, she said workers at daycare or in a retirement community are more likely to wear masks as they are around people more susceptible to illness. Roehrs said wearing a mask when someone is sick and working with these high-risk populations is a good idea.
Snyder sings in the choirs and learned during COVID that germs spread further when she sings, so she said she is extra conscious of wearing a mask when singing while feeling under the weather. She also said she makes sure to wear one when she is sick and contagious.
“It’s mostly a respect for the people around me,” Snyder said. “I wouldn’t want what I have going on to impact other people.”
Additionally, Ashlynn Fitzpatrick, a sophomore at Drake, pointed out cold and flu season as a time when people are more likely to mask up. Especially on a college campus, she said, with all the mysterious illnesses that go around, people might mask up to not spread any germs or ensure they don’t bring anything home to their loved ones.
Fitzpatrick teaches children at a dance studio in the city, and she makes all her students use hand sanitizer before class. She encourages other people to take similar precautions during cold and flu season.
“I really respect people putting masks on, sanitizing, and doing everything the proper way,” Fitzpatrick said
Snyder said people should monitor their health during this cold and flu season to help limit the spread of germs.
“Keep yourself healthy,” Snyder said. “It sounds silly, but wash your hands, take vitamin C, and ensure you’re hydrated and sleeping. Also, I always tend to get sick when I’m stressed, so managing your stress and mental health also can keep you from getting sick.”
