Encouraging Masks and Social Distancing

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/opinion/letters/coronavirus-masks-social-distancing.html

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To the Editor:

Re “How to Get People to Wear Masks,” by Angela Duckworth, Lyle Ungar and Ezekiel J. Emanuel (Op-Ed, May 29):

The public health establishment makes a mistake in suggesting that a mask should be worn not to protect the wearer but to protect others. Immediately this provokes two responses — first, I’m not sick, so I don’t need to wear a mask, and second, I don’t care about others.

A plain old fabric mask may not provide as much protection as an N95, but I understand that depending on the type of fabric, it will stop as much as 70 percent of virus-size particles. Certainly that qualifies as “protection.” And fabric masks obviously protect the wearer from inbound globs of snot or saliva that might come from other people sneezing, coughing, singing or shouting.

Even Trump supporters might get with the program if it were put in these terms: I don’t wear a mask to protect others; I wear it to protect myself.

Kathleen LoomisLouisville, Ky.

To the Editor:

Not long before the pandemic hit, I received the worst kind of surprise: a stage IV lung cancer diagnosis at age 45. Nothing in my medical history pointed to the likelihood of something like this, but, nevertheless, I find myself in an especially vulnerable category. I’m grateful to those who wear masks.

If the well-being of strangers is unimportant to those who choose not to wear masks, I urge them to think about themselves and their loved ones. It’s quite possible that, unknowingly, they, too, are in an especially vulnerable category.

Michael EchenbergBrooklyn

To the Editor:

As we move slowly into reopening our places of business and having social gatherings, however long this process may take, I have a heartfelt plea for restaurateurs, store owners, and the owners of bars, lounges and other places. We know that your cashiers, hosts, servers, bartenders and other staff will still need to wear protective gear. So please, in the name of our humanity and our hearts, ask them to use transparent plastic face shields instead of masks.

Let us smile at one another, see one another’s faces, greet and interact like civilized people. Let us see one another again. We’re tired of being alone!

David G. WhiteisChicago

To the Editor:

The protests for opening up the country have been much on my mind. On the day my gym reopened, I heard an exchange that will forever be seared into my brain.

Gym members were asked to space six feet apart and enter one at a time for a temperature check and a few questions. One member, let’s call her Tan Queen, pressed too close to another member, who immediately stepped away the requested distance.

Tan Queen said to the rule follower: “You don’t have to move away. I’m not a believer, so know all these rules don’t matter.”

Rule follower: “I am a believer. My husband is a doctor, and his partner is going to die today. They’re taking him off the ventilator.”

Marilyn WagnerCarmel, Ind.