Jennifer Aniston Shares a Friend’s Tragic Coronavirus Battle, Begs People to Wear Masks

From Woman's Day

Jennifer Aniston shared a friend’s photo to Instagram in an effort to encourage people to wear face masks and take the coronavirus pandemic seriously.

In the heartbreaking photo (which she posted with his permission), Aniston’s friend Kevin is hooked up to a breathing tube after being hospitalized for COVID-19. The Morning Show star also shared a photo with her Friends co-star Courteney Cox, in which they are both wearing masks.

“This is our friend Kevin. Perfectly healthy, not one underlying health issue. This is COVID. This is real,” she wrote in the caption. “We can’t be so naive to think we can outrun this...if we want this to end, and we do, right? The one step we can take is PLEASE #wearadamnmask.”

Aniston emphasized that COVID-19 affects people of all ages. “Just think about those who’ve already suffered through this horrible virus. Do it for your family,” she said, adding that the photo of Kevin was from the spring. “Thank god he has almost recovered now.”

This is not the first time Aniston has encouraged her followers to wear a mask. In June, the actress shared a photo of her in a black mask with a lengthy caption about how we should be working collectively to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“I understand masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable. But don’t you feel that it’s worse that businesses are shutting down... jobs are being lost... health care workers are hitting absolute exhaustion,” she wrote in the caption. “And so many lives have been taken by this virus because we aren’t doing enough.”

She also called out those who are refusing to take steps to flatten the curve in the United States. “People seem worried about their ‘rights being taken away’ by being asked to wear a mask. This simple and effective recommendation is being politicized at the expense of people’s lives. And it really shouldn’t be a debate,” she wrote. “If you care about human life, please... just #wearadamnmask 😷 and encourage those around you to do the same.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 is highly infectious and spreads from person to person via respiratory droplets that are thrown into the air after sneezing, coughing, or even simply speaking and singing. When a person wears a face mask, it helps prevent them from spreading the virus to others, research shows. Many states have mandated that masks be worn in public spaces when social distancing (staying six feet apart) is not possible, as growing evidence finds that people can easily spread the virus without exhibiting any obvious symptoms.

In need of a new face mask? Check out the best cloth face coverings here and the best breathable face masks for summer heat and sweaty workouts here.

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