Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican Rep. donned a gas mask on March 4 while he voted on a bill that would dedicate billions of dollars to combating coronavirus as concerns arose over the spread of the disease.
What’s important to note is that even then the advantage of having a full face enclosure that was both effective in blocking the spread of pathogens as well as which created a physical barrier from digital contact was seen as important even back then.
Gaetz later wore the mask onto the House floor, as evidenced by a photo tweeted by Rep. Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat.
Just days after this, Gaetz self-quarantined after coming into contact with an individual who had been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The gas mask picture from Gaetz follows an announcement that only 11 people had passed away from Corona virus in the US. Health officials had urged Americans to stop buying masks out of concern of a shortage for health care workers, however, they did not, in contrast, offer the purchase of military surplus gasmasks as a viable alternative… perhaps they should have.