Letter to the Editor: COVID courtesies can lead to community building

I was at a grocery store checkout a couple weeks ago, when the gentleman in front of me leaned toward the cashier, as he was having trouble hearing her. She very respectfully asked him to please cover his nose with his mask. I was stunned to hear him respond that, indeed, he did mind because, he said, “I don’t care about you.”

Upon reflection, I realize he is correct. If, by this point in time, one is not wearing a mask properly, then one is openly displaying a complete and utter lack of regard and empathy for every other living being on the planet and does not care about anyone.

By now, we all know that it is a lie that COVID-19 is a political hoax. One must know that, while some folks have milder cases, too many people are dying, suffering or having long-term medical problems. And the impact is still unknown if one has a child while suffering as a long-hauler. As already known, we will not all get the same health care treatments.

So how do the vaccines work? The vaccines provide protection in the event of exposure to COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), once injected into our bodies, the vaccines “teach our cells how to make a protein — or even just a piece of a protein — that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.” The vaccines currently available require two doses for optimal effectiveness.

What does this mean for all of us, not just some of us? We will all need to continue to be careful, especially as the rollout of the vaccines will take some time and further community effort.

Very proudly display that you are a good citizen and a caring member of the community by wearing well- fitting double masks and care of them as instructed on the mask safety page of the CDC’s website.

If you are stuck in being an obstinate and defiant person, maybe you can use this pandemic as a springboard to test out being a caring member of the community. Even if you do not care internally, maybe you will feel good about fooling others that you are a kind and caring person. The  mask will not allow anyone to tell the difference.

Gail Quenneville

Lewes