There’s more we can do to prevent virus spread

By Letter to the Editor on April 18, 2020.

After reading R.B Walter Kerber’s “letter to the editor entitled “My plea to society” in the Lethbridge Herald on April 9, I must say I concur with everything he has said. We must all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. It was reported that a third of the world is presently in some form of lockdown.

However, the letter only lightly touched on face masks, which I feel are just as important as social distancing, hand washing and staying at home as much as possible. They should be worn when we must go into public spaces that are deemed essential services (grocery stores, etc.). It has also been reported that one in four carriers (25 per cent) of the COVID-19 virus could be asymptomatic, meaning they are showing no signs of the virus. Properly-fitting homemade masks could protect us from the unknown, asymptomatic carrier (a few health officials say that wearing a mask in public only protects against the spread of the virus).

A study done in Washington state’s King County by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that of the 23 people who tested positive for COVID-19, only 10 people showed signs symptoms of the virus on the day of being tested with the remaining 10 people developing systems one week later.

Also, I would like to see those individuals who must enter assisted-living establishments for whatever reason be required to wear an approved mask when having to work within close proximity of the residents living there. We must do all that we can to protect ourselves and those who are vulnerable from acquiring this non-discriminating virus.

Kent Perry

Lethbridge