New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Compares Wearing Face Masks to Condoms During AIDS Crisis

On Friday, May 22, 2020, the third-term Democrat, Andrew Cuomo, the New York Gov., expressed his thoughts about the current COVID-19 pandemic. As we are sure you already know, we have been faced with a new pandemic as of late December 2019, when the new coronavirus first hit us and quickly spreading to all seven continents. 

Since then, new information has been hitting us each day. The good news is that with each day passed, researchers keep learning something new about this virus and the way that it works. Things, although they have gotten a bit out of hand, are now under control again, as the government warns the public to stay safe in their homes and avoid getting in close contact with others without wearing a face mask.

Face masks are what condoms were during the AIDS crises in the 1980s, the New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggests

During his talk on Friday, the New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talked about his memories from the 1980s, which is when the public was first introduced to the new virus, with that being HIV. He also talked about the educational campaigns that they had to go through to learn about HIV and how to protect themselves. 

Back then, the researchers and doctors warned the public against wearing a condom as the safest contraceptive that could potentially protect them against contracting HIV in addition to many different STDs. Today, things have still not changed much. The condom remains to be the single most effective contraceptive that can help prevent a long line of STDs, including HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancy.

Well, much like then, today, we are faced with yet another virus, of which we are still learning how it works. Luckily, we quickly learned that it was the use of face masks, self-isolation, and self-distancing, that could help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These are all prevention methods that have been enforced in most countries that have been hit hard by the coronavirus.

It was back in April when the New York officials announced their executive order that required all citizens to wear a face mask or any other facial covering while being in public areas as one of the precaution methods against the coronavirus. However, only last week, the mayor of New York Bill de Blasio said that the NYPD would not be enforcing or ticketing individuals who fail to follow the previous executive order. According to Andrew Cuomo, this exposes the citizens of New York to great danger, as he explains that a face mask can make a difference between life and death, especially to the ones who are more vulnerable to this new virus.

References

http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

https://www.ibtimes.com/coronavirus-new-york-update-wearing-face-mask-similar-condom-use-during-aids-crisis-2981145

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470281/

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks

https://nypost.com/2020/04/15/andrew-cuomo-orders-new-yorkers-to-cover-faces-in-public/

https://nypost.com/2020/05/15/nypd-wont-make-arrests-for-not-wearing-masks-de-blasio/