Congressman Don Beyer is making waves online, after a photo of him donning a face mask and latex gloves during a House briefing has come out. The photo was shared by C-SPAN reporter Craig Caplan, and it has lit up social media, with Twitter users having a range of opinions on the matter. According to Wavy, Beyer's choice to wear the mask and gloves was related to his pursuit of stricter guidelines on safety at airports amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
There have been different schools of though on whether or not wearing a face mask and gloves are helpful in the fight against coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last week that people in public should wear face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 — even those who are asymptomatic. Because a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms, and even those who eventually develop symptoms, can transmit the virus to others, that means the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity.
Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, recently commented on the matter, saying, "Wearing a non-medical mask, even if you have no symptoms is an additional measure that you can take to protect others around you." The Windsor-Essex medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed also commented, sharing his opinion on people using masks that they make on their own. "There could be some benefit, but there could be some risk that come with homemade masks," he said.
The photo of Beyer has certainly instigated more conversation on the matter. "Our leaders need to model the preferred behaviors if they want the populace to follow. Thanks @RepDonBeyer," one supporter tweeted. Scroll down to read the wide array of feelings and reactions to Beyer's masked look.