I would like to make a few comments on the Sept. 10 front-page story.
Firstly, in March of this year I questioned wearing any kind of mask to avoid contracting the COVID-19 illness or prevent myself from spreading it. I did not like putting them on, they were hot and uncomfortable.
I decided to educate myself and researched the Covid-19 illness and the efficiency of masks. For this, I reasoned that I could make a rational decision on what I believed would be the best actions on my part to protect mine and my fellow citizens' health.
Here are the facts:
1. COVID-19 virus is an organism that preferentially infects the human respiratory system, where it thrives. It tends to infect the deep lung tissue and respiratory tract.
2. Any discharges from the respiratory tract of an infected person can contain live virus material that can be passed onto other humans. Discharges include particles with mucous & other fluids from the respiration system projected through sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose, heavy breathing from vigorous activity & spitting.
3. The virus does not survive well outside the human body.
4. The larger the size of the discharge discharge, the greater the amount of live virus material in the discharge.
5. So the large size discharges will allow the live virus material to be transported further from the infected person than the finer particles, and pose a greater risk to infect anyone inhaling or swallowing these particles.
6. Masks are designed to capture and filter out airborne particles. The larger the particle, the more effective the mask! Masks will capture material discharged from the infected person and prevent healthy people from ingesting live virus material.
7. Masks are not a perfect solution, as it depends on the material the mask is made from, the fit of the mask, how well it seals on the face and how clean the mask is.
8. However, they are surprisingly effective at capturing airborne particles.
I WEAR A MASK whenever I am in a public area where close contact with others is unavoidable. To protect myself, my loved ones and others, I elected to follow this long before the government recommendations changed to support the increased use of masks. They are still a nuisance to put on, are hot and uncomfortable! But you know what, wearing a football helmet also presented the same issues, but I wore one whenever I suited up!!
For anyone to insist on not wearing masks, and worse, encourage children not to wear masks in light of what we know about the Covid-19 virus is socially irresponsible. These people are risking the health of themselves, their children and any people they associate with their actions. Please reconsider! If this person had a beloved elderly parent, would she not wear masks to prevent the possibility of infecting them? And claiming it is their right not to wear a mask in public places under the "Canadian Charter of Rights" is no different in saying they have the right to drive in the left-hand lane down a 2-lane highway or not wear seatbelts. The article also states that she and her family have the legal right to life, liberty and security. Which is true, but what about the rights of the rest of our citizens, do we not have the same rights? Is there no respect for my right not to be infected with the Covid-19 and does she not want to help in a minor way to reduce the spread? To live and survive together, we all must make sacrifices, and wearing a mask is a minor sacrifice to prevent the spread of a horrible and sometimes lethal disease.
A second point I want to make is the unbalanced narrative included on the front-page story. It is wrong to publish a paper with only one side of the argument on the front page and not provide balanced counter-arguments on the same page. Granted, as you read through the paper, there are 2 sections devoted to the more reasonable arguments. However, the front page illustrates what is wrong with today's media and reporting. The front page is what everyone reads, so the reading material on the front page must provide balanced coverage, not just one side! Please respect my right to having a balance of information on the front page.
Graham Hook
