KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People in Kansas City have differing opinions when it comes to wearing a face mask or other face covering in public places.
Several people shopping Friday on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, were spotted wearing masks but just as many customers were not.
“For me, it’s just thinking of others," Rich Peralez said. "Nobody knows who I am and if I’m COVID-free or not. I just want to respect others, so I wear a mask."
Others don't see the point in wearing a mask.
“I don’t wear a mask because I feel like, if you’re going to get it, you’re going to get it,” Ahmond Basey said.
Keelon Jimison said, “With the mask you’re lowering your immune system when you wear it all the time. So, when you come back out in public, there’s going to be a big spike in disease, so I say no mask."
That opinion flies in the face of guidance from health officials, who recommend that everyone wear a face mask or covering in public places, especially in locations where social distancing is difficult.
“Everybody continues to be susceptible and everybody is susceptible in one form or another,” Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease specialist with The University of Kansas Health System, said.
He and other medical experts have worked to dispel some myths about face coverings, including a belief by some that wearing a mask forces you to breathe in carbon dioxide.
“They’re not bad for your health," Dr. Steve Stites with The University of Kansas Health System said. "They’re good for everybody else's health, and they do not lead to CO2 poisoning unless you have really severe emphysema and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)."
While health officials urge people to wear a mask in public, many of those who were not wearing one Friday said they would in places where it's required.
“If they say it’s mandatory, I’m not going to sit here and fuss about it or fight about it," Izzy Russell said. "I mean, they’re the ones in the position, they’re there for a reason, so if they say it, I’m going to do it."
Beginning Monday, masks will be required indoors at public places in Kansas City, Missouri.
