Fighting for freedoms, a sense of confusion: Duke experts explain why some resist masks

"Either wear one, or don't go in the store," Cooper said after praising retailers for requiring customers to wear masks. "It infringes on the life and liberty of everyone else in the store. Not only is wearing a mask the decent, neighborly thing to do, it's the best way to boost our economy."

One model from the University of Washington shows that near-universal wearing of cloth or homemade masks could prevent up to 28,030 deaths in the United States before Oct. 1.

So, why do people continue to defy public health messages and expert data that shows masks are the best way to protect oneself and others from the virus?

The best solution is to give people the choice and give them some kind of agency, Fitzsimons said, citing as an example giving people a choice between different kinds of masks to wear.

Fitzsimons also critiqued the governor's words.

"Using negatively valanced terms to describe people who are not following the guidelines, my personal opinion is that is not going to be productive," he said. "You can't change someone who is defending a freedom they value to not defend a freedom they value."

He said that using the term "selfish" is going to cause people who are already not wearing a mask to "dig in even harder."

Because many political leaders are delivering public health messages, masks have become politicized in America. That isn't a trend seen in other countries, Fitzsimons said.

The freedom to not wear a mask became important to many Americans, he said, once politics and mask-wearing became interconnected.

When looking at other countries, Fitzsimons said that wearing a mask is "not a political issue."

Benjamin Anderson, assistant professor of science and global health at Duke Kunshan University in China, said that, in the United States, there hasn't been a consistent message regarding masks. This causes people to become more skeptical of their leaders and be more confused.

For example, each state has its own policy regarding masks – or no policy at all.

Research shows that trust in government is important right now, but it is being overrun by confusion and political discourse, Anderson said.

Fitzsimons also said that one unified message from all political leaders could help persuade more people to wear masks.

Another concern from experts is the resistance to a possible vaccine.

Polls show that 30 to 50 percent of people have concerns about a coronavirus vaccine.

She said she believes more research needs to be done on how to prevent resistance to a coronavirus vaccine.

When communicating to the public about a vaccine, health professionals should communicate about its effectiveness, accessibility and importance, according to Vasudevan.

"If people don't think it's important, they aren't going to get it," she said.

But in communicating that importance, Vasudevan said it's "always good to communicate in terms of benefits rather than threats."

The experts say these principles apply when someone is communicating with a relative or close friend who isn't socially distancing or doesn't believe the pandemic is a true threat.

"The reality is that those freedoms are important to that loved one," Fitzsimons said.

Fitzsimons said it's best to approach the conversations by giving that person agency and presenting mask-wearing in a way that's appealing to them.

63-year-old COVID-19 survivor implores everyone to wear masks

Not many people are going to be effective in debating the science of the virus, he said, but everyone can talk about common ground with someone they know.

Fitzsimons said to tell a friend or relative that, if they want to go and enjoy everyday activities again, like going to a restaurant or bar, they have to learn how to wear a mask.