To the editor:
In response to Jason Hubred’s letter of Friday, Sept. 18:
How is COVID-19 transmitted? Current medical evidence suggests that this virus spreads between people through direct and indirect contact. Perhaps this means that if I cough or sneeze, speak or sing, those infectious “droplets” released from my mouth and my nose can get into your mouth, nose or eyes and infect you.
Mr. Hubred, you could be walking around with no fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, or congestion; in other words although you have no symptoms, you are a COVID-19 carrier. You carry as much of the virus as someone who has tested positive for the virus, but you are lucky – you are not sick.
Unfortunately, because you’re not masked, you might infect me and several others if we happen to pick up a carton of milk that you sneeze on, or if we pump gas after you cough on the pump. According to www.health.Harvard.edu: “A recent study found that the COVID-19 coronavirus can survive up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.” It’s possible that your droplets might infect dozens.
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It is also possible that you could “catch” COVID-19 from another unmasked person who happens to cough or sneeze on an object you pick up.
Mandated mask wearing protects you and everyone else. Surely you wouldn’t want to knowingly infect others or be infected by someone who chooses not to mask.
Please wash or disinfect your hands frequently, avoid close contact with others, cover your nose and mouth so you don’t get infected. And the next time you see people with masks, know that masks are there to protect YOU as well as them.
Ruthie Schultz
Alexandria, MN
