MASKS: Asking so little

I am a nurse. Masks have for decades been the standard to prevent the spread of airborne and droplet infections. If you think about it, masks are the standard in many industries to prevent the inhalation of harmful particles into the lungs. COVID-19 is spread either by droplets, or are airborne.

In an ideal world, we would all have an N95 mask that would keep something as small as a virus from entering our respiratory system. We would dispose of the mask and get a new one with each outing into public. We are not in an ideal world and we are having to make compromises that help reduce the spread by using cloth masks, and surgical grade masks.

Our hospital — Kootenai Health, is admitting people with COVID-19. These people do not have the sniffles and a low grade temp. They are sick and suffering. Their families are suffering. They are a small percentage of our community. I need to ask, when did it become OK to gamble on the safety of even one person by questioning the validity of a mask?

M. BECKER

Dalton Gardens