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Comic: Reasons to wear a mask in 2026

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sick times

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Artist Gillian Levine recently wrote and illustrated a comic sharing reasons to continue masking in 2026. It highlights reducing the risk of Long COVID and protecting your community as key motivations for preventing infections as the virus SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread. The comic includes extensive citations to scientific papers and other resources about COVID-19 and Long COVID.

Levine kindly gave The Sick Times permission to republish the comic. Check it out below or at her website, and find Levine on Instagram at @professional.baby.

The first comic slide of “reasons to wear a mask 2026” depicts a person wearing a white mask who says “Hell yea!” Around them are bright pastel colors and cute but ominous looking SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Text reading “a lil manifesto about taking care of yourself and others- with over 50 citations! By Gillian Levine.”
The second slide of the comic is divided into four sections and shows how much of society is telling covid conscious people to stop talking about covid, yet, also asking about many of the long term affects of COVID-19 in conversations and online.
This comic slide shows information about how COVID-19 continues to spread, educating readers about how scientists measure concentrations of SARS-COV-2 in wastewater. There is an illustration of a toilet who says “day-um!” SARS-COV-2 viruses saying “that's us!” And “we made things worse!”
This comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine playfully educates readers about COVID-19 vaccines. It depicts the “vaxxed and relaxed” attitudes of many from earlier in the pandemic, and states that while vaccines are important, they don't fully protect you from the risks of COVID-19. There are illustrations of a person riding in a “vaccine car” and getting in an accident, text reads “so! The vaccine can save you from dying from a covid infection but you still need to wear a mask. Why? Get ready for it.”
This comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine playfully educates readers about Long COVID by presenting it in a music festival poster format. It reads “the 7th annual Long COVID fest 2026: February 2020-???: a SARS-CoV-2 production.” The poster features rainbows, skulls, and palm trees and is giving “Coachella” vibes. Below, where artists would be announced are facts about the disease including its symptoms and prevalence. “Brought to you by late stage capitalism” is at the bottom of the poster.
This comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine extends playful the Long COVID fest concept and depicts a hand holding a sheet from a music festival with facts about Long COVID facts and prevention, stating that everyone is vulnerable and that there is no cure, among other facts.
This four panel comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine shows a conversation between a cartoon SARS-CoV-2 virus and a man about the asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 and how it is an ongoing risk in 2026. The virus states that around 49% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic.
This 4 panel comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine playfully shows why many people are in denial about Long COVID since it doesn't always present in a way people can see. It depicts conversations between people about denial and shows the “visible” manifestations of other diseases like Ebola and leprosy. The last panel shows a winded man at the top of a set of stairs, saying he must feel this way because he's in his “30s”
This comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine depicts the many awful world events happening and the frustration people feel in being reminded about the ongoing pandemic as they happen. It also explains how COVID-19, is one of the most researched viruses in history even though it's just a “baby."
This three panel comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine shows how many people feel overwhelmed by the world today and use it as an excuse to not wear a mask. A masked person encourages a non masked person to wear a mask to better protect everyone, including themselves.
This comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine playfully gives reasons of why to wear a mask using a Monopoly board. Each square represents a different reason to mask, from protecting yourself and others to protecting yourself from other airborne virus. Dice and game board pieces are scattered around.
This comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine shows ways to prevent COVID-19 and Long COVID, focusing on the importance of masking.
The final comic slide from “why you should wear a mask 2026” by Gillian Levine reads “some final thoughts” and shows a group of masked people holding signs with various facts and messages about COVID and Long COVID.
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