The writer claims that 99.7% of those who get COVID achieve a full recovery. This is false. The fatality rate in the US for those who get COVID is currently just under 2% according to ourworldindata.org. That means that for every 50 to 60 people who get COVID, one dies. Also, according to several studies, between 25% to more than 30% of those who have COVID become “long haulers” who have a variety of symptoms from shortness of breath to “brain fog” for months after they supposedly recover. Does being concerned about contracting COVID sound like fearmongering? 

Then there was the contention that masks don’t work because they didn’t in 1918. This is just plain stupid. In general, the data clearly show that masks reduce spread of COVID, but not all masks are created equal. Cloth masks and bandanas are not as effective as the N95 and KN95 masks, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

Then there are the unvaccinated. They are largely responsible for the continuing spread of the virus, especially the new Delta Variant. They are the vulnerable pool of individuals susceptible to infection where the virus can mutate as it spreads. The vast majority of individuals currently spreading and getting infected are the unvaccinated who refuse to wear a mask.

The maskless and unvaccinated are not just making a “personal decision” about their own heath. They are choosing to put everyone they come in contact with at risk. No, I will not “lay off” the unvaccinated. They are accountable for the continuation of the pandemic and its restrictions. As someone with an immunocompromising condition, they are the reason I now still need to protect myself from them by wearing a mask.

Norman Hoffman

Waynesville