Letter-writer George Silowash (“Effectiveness of cloth masks”) brings up an interesting point. That is, his thoughts regarding viral particles remaining in a mask after evaporation of the exhaled respiratory droplets. It’s unclear to me whether the virus would adhere or be readily reinhaled. However, even if they were “free” and you rebreathed them, you are already infected.

The main purpose of a cloth mask is not so much to protect you as it is to protect others from you. And an analysis of 172 studies has shown that, on average, a mask literally cuts the risk of transmission from 17.4% to 3.1%.

Conclusion: Wearing a mask is being kind and respectful to our fellow human beings. Not wearing a mask is selfish.

Anyone interested in a practical demonstration of mask effectiveness should check out microbiologist Dr. Rich Davis on Buzzfeed.

Bill Marcinik, Unity

Suffering in long-term care facilities

People in local long-term care facilities are suffering far more from abandonment and neglect than covid-19. From what I’ve experienced, adequate staffing adjustments have not been made to accommodate residents’ needs. Families are not permitted inside the facilities to give attention, stimulation, love and care. Yet it seems the number of food service workers, nurses and aides has not dramatically increased to supplement this shortfall that “lockdowns” have created.

Food service workers provide meals in individual rooms on foam plates with plastic utensils rather than serving residents in dining rooms. It is impossible to serve food hot, properly cooked and well presented without improved techniques and increased staff.

Aides and nurses are overtaxed. Minimal physical care services as well as increased sanitizing procedures are not the only considerations that must be addressed during this time.

Imagine being trapped in your bedroom for 102 days. Who will take a resident for a wheelchair stroll outdoors to help maintain mental health? Who will sit and visit with an aging, lonely senior who misses loved ones? Who will manage room organization, maintain toiletries and organize clothing like family used to? Who will notice or respond quickly when an ailing individual becomes acutely sick or disoriented?

Society is not acknowledging the greatest four-month tragedy that has ever been perpetrated on its seniors. That tragedy is not covid-19!

Kathy Alt, Unity

American people need health care

The new attempt by President Trump to destroy the Affordable Care Act illustrates yet again that Republicans are desperate to take away the access of everyday people to health care. The fresh horror now is that they are doing this during a time of record unemployment due to an unprecedented pandemic virus. Congressional Republicans, including Sen. Pat Toomey, have nothing to offer in replacement, yet they stand quietly by allowing this travesty to happen. On Thursday there were over 54,000 new cases of covid-19. Health care? Who needs health care?

Sarah Gaffen, Mt. Lebanon

Local politicians are cowardly

Please — let me get this right because I’m confused by all I’m seeing and hearing on all local TV newscasts and to a lesser degree by newspaper and radio reports.

Because of an increase in covid-19 diagnoses in Allegheny County, almost all of them among young people — especially those frequenting South Side and Oakland drinking establishments — county Executive Rich Fitzgerald is front and center.

Effective 5 p.m. June 30, he said, all bars and restaurants are prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages “in house,” no matter how scrupulously they obeyed all directives by rearranging establishments, spacing out tables, monitoring alcohol intake and requiring employees to wear masks.

Cut to another news story: Yet another lawless mob of protesters blocks a major Downtown Pittsburgh artery, Liberty Avenue, for the second time in a week because they disapprove of a bar owner’s right to post and enforce a dress code (a legal and admirable maintenance of high standards).

While the ragtag mob illegally blocks traffic, cameras quietly observe that almost none of them are wearing masks, once again thumbing their noses at safety precautions as the covid-19 tallies swell.

Oops, here’s the county executive again telling us how he’s protecting county residents.

Does any politician in the city or county have the intestinal fortitude to confront the lawless riffraff blocking streets, to protect business owners of integrity and to butt out of the lives of rules-abiding citizens who have earned a libation with their dinner?

Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and several other cowardly local politicians are embarrassments to Western Pennsylvania.

Ed Blank, Mt. Lebanon

Can’t understand treatment of police

I would like to try to understand the disdain and even hate some socialist Democrats have toward our police.

I realize the hate for the cop who put his knee on George Floyd’s neck — who, in my mind, was trying to murder him. Thankfully he was accused of murder, and I am sure the overwhelming majority of police support this decision.

But I can’t understand the reason for burning and looting by both Black and white people while some Democratic mayors and governors tell police to stand down. Demonstrators are allowed to throw rocks, bottles and exploding “cocktails,” spit on police and, on occasion, shoot them.

Let’s assume someone breaks into your house and you call 911 (I believe you can still call 911, although some liberal Democrats want you to call another number). Lo and behold, you are sent a social worker to talk to the intruder and possibly have him explain something terrible must have happened to him growing up, like his mom dressed him funny, to make him a criminal. This could happen if you defund the police. This is beyond stupidity.

I find it interesting the Monday morning quarterbacks on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and NBC, and at The Washington Post and New York Times, seem to be cop haters. They must have no idea what policemen must put up with.

If only these cowards would back the cops instead of putting them down. But that won’t happen.

God bless America, while we still have one.

Ken Bearer, North Buffalo

On masks, Gov. Wolf is abusing his power

Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered that all Pennsylvania businesses require customers to wear masks to get in the door. Signs are posted at the entry to almost all businesses — including grocery stores, like Giant Eagle and Walmart.

In my opinion, the order is clear: no mask, no food. I believe Wolf is using food as a weapon to force everyone to bow down to his demands, and this is a human rights violation.

The Pennsylvania Legislature voted to end the state medical emergency, but Wolf has refused to give up his power. It is now up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to overrule Wolf. And the Legislature must remove Wolf from office for his gross abuse of power.

Wayne R. Messinger, North Huntingdon

Why band is important to students

To Superintendent Gary Peiffer and the Greensburg Salem School Board: I read with sadness and a great deal of concern that you made the decision to eliminate the elementary band position at Greensburg Salem (“Greensburg Salem keeps taxes flat, cuts librarians and band teacher.”) My sadness is for the harm this will cause to the arts education in your district. However, my greater concern is for your perception and attitude toward music as an academic discipline.

As a professional music educator for the last 23 years, I found the sentence “Band is an extracurricular activity …” in your July 2 letter to parents, guardians and community to be factually inaccurate with regards to the standards set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Moreover, it reflects an alarming trend of school districts across the country eliminating programs that our children need the most as they begin their studies, post-covid-19.

What is band, and why is it important?

Simple:

Band is family.

Band is community.

Band is creativity.

Band is history.

Band is strength.

Band is science.

Band is healing.

Band is math.

Band is selflessness.

Band is confidence.

Band is collaboration.

Band is caring.

Band is compassion.

Band is empathy.

Band is working with your head, your hands and your heart.

On second thought, maybe I do agree with your premise, but in reverse. Instead of band being extracurricular, it is curricular with a whole lot of extras.

Dr. Jason Worzbyt, White

The writer is a music professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)