Many Asian and European countries defeated the COVID-19 pandemic in part due to widespread mask wearing, and the "nightmare" can end in three weeks if the U.S. population follows suit, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday on "Mad Money."
What Happened: U.S. President Donald Trump's new stance on encouraging mask wearing is "better late than never," but perhaps more important, it "cuts the legs out from the anti-mask crowd," Cramer said.
Coupled with signs of a new stimulus round from the Trump administration, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the stock market's bullish momentum continued this week, he said.
If Trump continues to endorse masks, it could mark the end of a "culture war issue" and the public can finally "get its act together," the CNBC host said.
"Basically, the critics assumed that taking the pandemic seriously would be bad for business, but in reality, taking it seriously is what lets you get back to normal," Cramer said. "Just look at the rest of the world."
Why It's Important: Widespread mask wearing could mean that the public no longer needs to be glued to medical journals discussing vaccine trials that may never amount to anything, Cramer said.
Masks will make it much easier to flatten the curve, bringing the pandemic under control "long before we get a vaccine," he said.
What's Next: Mask compliance of up to 80% should be enough to contain the virus in the same way Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and others have done, Cramer said.
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