Letter to the editor: Masks not stopping covid-19

I hate to be the one to burst everyone’s bubble, but masks aren’t the strategy that is going to stop the pandemic. If that were the case, the numbers of new cases would already be dwindling.

Also, this isn’t the only game in town. The U.S. has lost around 40,000 people to the flu virus every year in the past decade, and the number was 61,000 in the 2017-18 season, and that hasn’t generated the leadership foolishness we have now.

If anyone thinks the whole population will or should wear masks, think about another situation where the “authorities” have tried to enforce other public guidelines like seat belts. We have had a 60-year campaign advocating wearing them and even created laws to enforce them. The U.S. loses another 39,000 every year, and still a lot of folks still won’t use them.

Let’s stop the foolish mask game and accept the fact that this is an invisible virus whose job it is to spread itself. We have not been able to eradicate the flu before, and masks aren’t going to all of a sudden be the answer to our prayers.

Wash your hands a lot, avoid sick folks and live your life. The only way to totally live a risk-free life is to isolate yourself in a sterile cocoon and don’t let anyone in. I sure as heck don’t want to live like that.

Robert Smith

Monroeville