Editor:
I hate face masks. They are too loose or too tight and either they make my glasses steam up or I have a wire poking my nose. Besides, I feel like a dork. But I wear one anyway. I do it as a courtesy to help protect others, and if more people returned that courtesy we would be helping prevent the spread. In a well-intentioned effort to preserve medical-grade masks for essential workers, we were told early on that mask wearing is ineffective, the implication being that the only reason to wear one is to make yourself feel better. However, more and more studies are showing otherwise, and countries with a high compliance to this practice show lower infection rates.
Despite best efforts, as businesses and public places open up again, social distancing is going to be challenging. With the wearing of well-designed cloth masks in conjunction with other protocols, we can help protect ourselves and each other. We have been wisely advised to show kindness through this challenging time, and doing our best to protect each other would be the best example.
We need to normalize mask wearing; then I won’t feel like a dork anymore.
Yvonne Mounsey, Roberts Creek
