An Immunologists' Personal Decisions On Mask Wearing In 2026
How I have updated my thinking going forward while SARS-CoV-2 is still present, and what would change my mind again.
Melanie Matheu, PhD
Feb 16, 2026
LINK:https://lilscience.substack.com/p/an-immunologists-personal-decisions?utm_source=%2Fbrowse%2Fhealth&utm_medium=reader2COMMENT: I personally find it just easier and safest to mask publicly all the time (simply because Ive been doing so for six years and have remained illness & disease free) but its interesting to see an Immunologist's view on it all. It's refreshing to see an immunologist that approves of supporting masked people especially in healthcare. I also like that she sounds like a person and a professional that would mask for me... just that willingness to mask for others to me shows great intelligence and compassion for others.
I am quite humbled by what an airborne illness and airborne disease can do to all walks of life so I simply mask with the modern day factors going around. I admit to wearing the mask to simply stay sharp and in the habit due to personal beliefs in what I think the future is capable of bringing at any given moment and for potential threats that lie ahead. I wear the mask simply based on the principle it is better to be safe than sorry and because it suits my somewhat risky lifestyle and dangerous environment....
... I take advantage of the mask in protecting me from a number of concerns and out of respect for all sorts of things in addition to covid including occupational hazards, zoonotic spillover, allergies, genuine concerns over the next wave of viruses, and purely as a self defense tool and for what I believe is in store for the future and I take care of a senior and want to take as little risk as possible with the dangers posed by immunosenescence as much as possible since we live somewhat remotely and have retired somewhat from the world's person to person social engagements and social gatherings for the most part. I just find masking suits our way of life quite fine.
For me the mask is a good thing like an extra set of gills that help me stay active and frees my body making it lighter and more dependable, safer & agile in the long run because I never get sick.
I don't mask just because of fear, I mask for reason and respect for what I know, what I believe in, and have experienced... I have experience in the matter... Ive benefitted from masking and have had good experiences and been rewarded for having masked...
...That being said, it's always better to be safe than sorry,
The Masked Man
