Wear your Face Mask
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | April 6th, 2020

The CDC is now recommending that we wear a face covering to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Recent evidence shows that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity – for example speaking, coughing or sneezing- even if those people are not showing symptoms. This should not stop us from trying to maintain social distancing. The CDC has provided guidelines on how to make your own face covering. Please click here for more information.
At my work, as health care providers we have started to wear face mask all the time because of the new evidence. Due to concerns of not having enough, the hospital has asked those who wear makeup to stop wearing makeup. By doing this, the hospital will be able to decontaminate the medical mask to be reused. I have to admit this was a little difficult for me because I am used to wearing foundation. I was not alone. As I listened to other women talk about the difficulty of not wearing makeup, I thought about a poem that I wrote which is in my book that will be released in the future.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING NATURAL?
What is wrong with being natural?
What is wrong with being me?
I need him to see me as I am, not what I was.
I do not want to go through the changes to be the person I am not.
So I took off the weave.
I stopped wearing a bra.
I allowed the hair between my legs to grow and grow.
I did not buy the mascara and I did not apply the eyeliner.
I took off the lashes.
If he loved me, he would have to love who I really was.
I stopped coloring my hair
The fake nails were gone.
Yes, he would see me for what I am, not what I was.
I needed to go natural
I needed to be me.
I needed to tell the world that I was beautiful as I am and not as I was.
Remember the best way to stop the spread of this disease is to stay home. If you have no choice and you need to leave the house and there is a chance you will be interacting with people, wear a facial covering.