Whether or not you agree with a mandate to wear a mask, many of us will do so during our daily business.
I am a professor of nursing at Purdue University, where a colleague and I teach a class detailing the history of health care over the centuries. Among other things, students discover the original reason for a cloth mask, dating back to the late 19th century, is the same as today: to protect others from the germs of those wearing them. Understanding these past practices, say the students, makes them better caregivers.
