LETTER: Wear face coverings in public
It is regrettable that President Trump said he chose not to wear masks while the Centers for Disease Control urges everyone to wear “non-medical cloth” face coverings in public to curb the spread of coronavirus.
It is true that some sort of facial covering is effective at keeping someone from spreading the virus to others. It is also well known that symptom-free transmission is what drives this horrible pandemic. This is why CDC reversed its previous recommendation since it is no longer possible to tell who can spread the virus based on the symptoms. Anyone is a potential virus spreader in a “hot spot.”
There is convincing evidence from some Asian countries that the spread of the virus slows down when a majority of population wears masks. This collective benefit can only be achieved if most, if not all, the population wears masks.
Do not have the false sense of security just because you wear a mask; the protection comes from only everyone around you wearing a mask, thus decreasing the potential virus spreading. Stay home, save lives. Wear face coverings, and stop the spread.
Jer-Yuan Tsai
Waynesburg