face masks

Here's Why Some People Are Not Wearing Masks During the Coronavirus Crisis

"In general, people do not like to be told what to do,” one psychologist said

Respiratory mask on desk in office
Sebastian Condrea | Getty Images

There is widespread agreement that one of easiest ways to control the spread of the coronavirus is to wear a face mask, but there are all kinds of reasons why people don't take this basic step, NBC News reported.

"That's a simple question with a complex answer," said Jacqueline Gollan, a psychologist and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "One, they underestimate the threat. It’s not concrete, it’s abstract. And prevention is a difficult thing to measure."

The refusal to wear a mask, which has been mandated in numerous cities and states, allegedly figured in the death of security guard Calvin Munerlyn, 43, who was fatally shot after he barred a customer from a Family Dollar store in Flint, Michigan, because she wasn't wearing a mask.

"In general, people do not like to be told what to do,” said Elizabeth Dorrance Hall, a professor of communication at Michigan State University.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.


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