Face paint vs masks

Dr. Boharski wrote (The Rush To Restrict Freedom, Oct. 9) that painting one’s face blue and wearing a mask offer the same protection against the spread of the coronavirus and its illness, Covid-19. He knows that’s not true. He would not be permitted inside a surgical suite without a mask. Any hospital that allowed surgeons to paint their faces blue rather than wear masks in surgery would lose its accreditation. And he knows that.

I understand that Dr. Boharski is saying that distancing is an effective deterrent. But he knows that if a Covid-infected person sneezes, those nearby — but farther than 6 feet away — almost certainly will be showered with droplets if the sneezer has a blue-painted face and are unlikely to be if the sneezer is wearing a mask. He also knows that wearing a mask will block some of the incoming droplets where a blue painted face will not.

He surely has read medical articles that say that, where social distancing is not possible, the wearing of masks confine and block droplets that are emitted in conversation and breathing. The articles probably don’t discuss the efficacy of a blue-painted face.

Even if the Covid deaths of unvaccinated children have remained blessedly low, children and young people are the fastest growing block of infected people in part because they have not yet been vaccinated. A Covid infected student can infect and endanger vaccinated teachers if the viral load is sufficient. A Covid infected student closes a school, depriving even mask wearing students of in-person education. That keeps parents from working and deprives the workforce of employees. Children with severe cases fill hospitals and crowd out emergency non-Covid medical cases. Dr. Boharski knows that, too. The New York Times reports on Covid cases by state. Montana, North Dakota, and Alaska are the nation’s top three Covid hot spots.

Dr. Boharski knows that by far the quickest and most effective way to stop the pandemic is for everyone to wear masks and get vaccinated. Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but would anyone say it isn’t better to end, rather than perpetuate, the pandemic? Americans used to be known by their willingness to make sacrifices for the good of their country. Can’t we all put our shoulders to the wheel and do this?

—Sharon Morrison, Whitefish