Masks are needed in schools, but not all masks are equal.

Why masks have become a breeding ground for division can be traced back to the onset of the pandemic when Dr. Fauci said, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.” When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better, and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And, often, there are unintended consequences — people keep fiddling with the mask, and they keep touching their face.” Since then, masks have been a source of divisive rhetoric; however, it is now clear that masks work, but we need to step away from flimsy cloth masks now and use medical-grade masks.

In all public settings, medical-grade masks should be worn, and they should be available to all, not just those who can afford them. Studies have shown how effective medical-grade masks are compared to facial coverings. In order to meet the demands of this ever-changing virus, all in the community need to wear a better mask, and a cloth mask should not be the default. As a country, we have understood this virus much better, and we can’t bring, as they say, “bring a knife to sword fight.”