Letter to the editor: For covid decisions, rely on science, not self-appointed 'experts'

I am not a medical professional, so I rely on experts in the field for advice about masks and vaccinations. I wonder if letter-writer Matt Pergar (“Latrobe’s mask decision the right one,” Aug. 1, TribLIVE) is a doctor. He writes, “Parents know what is best for their children.” This seems to be a highly irresponsible statement at a time when we need to be listening to people who actually know what they’re talking about. Not all parents have medical degrees. And because of the nature of infectious disease, is he suggesting that individual parents know what’s best for other parents’ children as well?

Right now we need to listen to the science, not self-appointed experts. Pergar complains that the “recommendations” are constantly changing, and implies that for that reason they are unreliable. Good science must be willing to change with changing data and circumstances. Once we thought the Earth was flat, but with better data we learned otherwise. The present changes are largely because of the new delta strain, which might have been prevented if we had followed the science from the beginning.

Wearing of masks is at most a minor inconvenience for most people. Once in this forum I saw a letter that pointed out that “we are not being asked to storm the beaches of Normandy.” That was indeed a major sacrifice that was necessary to win a war. All we need to do to win this war is to listen to the experts, wear masks, and get vaccinated. Please tell me. What’s so hard about that?

Al Duerig

Salem