Why My Patient Chose Not Wear a Face Mask

A few months ago, when my office manager informed me that one of my long-time patients was in our waiting room, and refusing to wear a face mask, I initially thought how selfish my patient was acting because I was concerned, like many of the other patients in our waiting room, and my staff members, that this particular patient could potentially inoculate others with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or even contract the virus herself. So, masked up like I had been since early in 2020, I went out to talk with this patient, and to ask her to accompany me to a treatment room where I could further explain our concern and our institution's health policy related to the use of masks and social distancing.
Source: Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Source Type: research