Wear masks to stop COVID

Editor:

Many people are confused about face masks because back in April the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued statements suggesting they were not needed. Both institutions have changed and now strongly recommend facemasks.

There are several reasons for the change, but mostly it is because the coronavirus is constantly evolving and we are learning more about it. We now know the virus is commonly spread simply by people speaking. The virus organisms are expelled from a person’s lungs when they speak and can float in the air for as much as eight hours.

A face mask prevents some from being expelled and slows those that are so they do not travel as far from the speaker. That is why “social distancing” is so important. You have a much greater chance of being infected by standing close to someone that is infected. If the virus cannot infect another individual, it goes through its infectious cycle and appears to die. The vast majority of scientists say if everyone would wear a face mask and use social distancing for two weeks, we could be on the way to beating COVID- 19, and cautiously re-opening our businesses and our schools.

In addition to killing some of its victims, we now know COVID-19 affects other organs that can have long, life-altering results. We know COVID-19 infects young children and they can pass it on to others. We know that going to parties or attending other social, religious, or governmental gatherings helps to spread COVID-19 and perpetuates the pandemic.

It’s simple; you can help re-open our schools and our economy, and you might save your own or someone else’s life by wearing a face mask, washing your hands and social distancing. If you do not do these things you are part of the problem.

Mary Luchterhand

Unity