Coronavirus: PETA Creates Face Mask
Part of PETA's motto states: Animals are not ours to eat or exploit in any other way. The organization campaigns against speciesism — a worldview that classifies humans as superior to all other living beings.
Now that the first coronavirus case has been confirmed in Germany as well, PETA is offering face masks that not only protect against pathogens but also spread a life-saving message: Go vegan.
The masks will soon be available in the PETA Store Interested parties can pre-order them now at info@peta.de — delivery will take place in February. Since the virus has also been confirmed in the USA, pre-orders are also possible through the online shop of partner organization PETA USA.
Organization blames meat industry as the culprit behind the virus outbreak
The SARS-like virus is reported to have spread from a live animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where both live and dead animals are sold for human consumption. Thousands of people have already been infected with the virus: at least 81 people have died from it in China. The virus was also confirmed today in a patient in Bavaria.
“Filthy stalls where animals are crammed together, slaughterhouses, and meat markets pose a health threat to people around the world. They are a true breeding ground for deadly diseases such as coronavirus, SARS, bird flu, and many more. PETA’s face masks call on people to protect themselves by avoiding meat and eating a vegan diet.”
Meat is particularly susceptible to contamination with pathogens such as E. coli, Campylobacter, and Salmonella. It also contains no dietary fiber and is packed with saturated fats that clog arteries, as well as cholesterol. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegans suffer less frequently from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer than meat eaters.
Harald Ullmann, PETA Germany's 2nd Chair.
Vegans not only tend to lead healthier lives; each individual also spares up to 50 animals per year from death in factory farms, slaughterhouses, or on fishing vessels.
In the meat and dairy industry, cows are separated from their young, chickens often have their throats cut while fully conscious, piglets are still castrated without anesthesia, and fish are frequently cut open while still alive. Whether “organic” or conventional farming: all of these animals are killed long before they reach their natural life expectancy.
With PETA's free Vegan Starter Program switching to a fully plant-based diet is easy.
