To the Editor:

We have all heard recently from the Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control, that we could stamp out COVID-19 in four to eight weeks if we all wore masks. This would mean savings of a trillion dollars by not dragging out the costs of this pandemic, and all the lost jobs that come with having to shut down to shelter in place again.

Although you might feel fine, you make be pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic but be able to spread COVID-19 to anyone else you encounter if your breath carries to them. We tend to breathe on those we love.

Masking keeps our germs to ourselves. If we all do it, germs won’t be passed on. So why do so many make excuses not to wear a mask? The excuses don’t hold water.

Herd immunity? The CDC director said masking works like instant herd immunity.

I’m not scared, if you are, you can wear one? No, that isn’t how it works. Think of it as a germ catcher, catching the germs being breathed out. My mask is for you, your mask is for me.

The germ passes through the cloth? But it doesn’t float on the breath to other people; it is interrupted by the cloth and doesn’t travel to others.

I heard wearing a mask makes my oxygen level drop. That has been debunked, but you should see how COVID-19 can drop your oxygen.

I don’t like how it feels. Yes, it takes some getting used to. Try a different style, or a face shield. Find something that works, even if it is a bandana tied over the nose and not touching your mouth as restrictively.

If you think wearing a mask is making a political statement, you are incorrect. It is an IQ test. Science is not opinions; it is real, as are the long-lasting problems you can have after recovering from COVID-19.

Just because someone survives it, doesn’t mean they are the same as they were before. Many survivors are having serious related medical issues even four months after, including clot-related strokes, aneurysms, and respiratory problems.

If we want to go back to any sort of normal, we are going to have to be our brother’s keeper, and mask up when we go out, and wash your hands frequently.

COVID-19 has hit the black community and poor people disproportionately. If you are medically fragile, try to have trunk pickup at stores or delivery to minimize exposure. Keep physical distance of six feet, and ask those who approach you to make sure their mask is up. If you know someone who needs masks, or needs help with getting assistance, call 211 for resources.

Rev. Curtis Johnson, president
South Iredell NAACP