Gov. Janet Mills and Maine’s medical workers have worked very hard dealing with COVID-19, especially considering the lack of help and false information given out by the White House.

Self-centered anti-maskers apparently don’t understand the devastating nature of COVID-19 (the U.S. has had over 5 million reported cases).  It’s not an old people’s disease.  Right now many 20-somethings are sick. A Washington Post newsletter mentioned a study showing that a large number of children have the virus in their systems but don’t show symptoms and can pass it to others without ever appearing sick. Some people have permanent organ damage and others are unable to function normally weeks after having COVID-19.

Some Republicans have made things worse because they are determined to keep everything open, regardless of the consequences, choosing business and profit over people’s health. The governors who encouraged tourists to come to their states without safety requirements now have many more people felled by the virus.

People in other countries think Americans are fools not to require everyone to wear a mask and distance ourselves the way that they did. Those countries are doing much better now. It’s particularly foolish to see college students and others of that age (who should know better) partying in large groups without masks.

It’s pretty sad if anti-maskers really don’t care about anyone else. It will be interesting to see, over time, what proportion of people who don’t wear masks lose family members, get very ill, have organ damage, or die from COVID-19.

Ellen Field, New Gloucester