LETTER TO THE EDITOR: An open letter to the unmasked public
You make things worse for us. By “us” I mean everyone who is immunocompromised, disabled, or otherwise in danger of having our health compromised.
I am a transplant recipient. I can't go anywhere safely. I can't even go to the doctor's office without someone coughing in the waiting room (maskless, of course).
At least when I see my surgeons, everyone is conscientious enough to wear a mask. The surgical team acknowledges that, as medical professionals, they are around sick people pretty often. So they take care not to become carriers who may unintentionally pass viruses to their vulnerable patients.
But here in the Tri-Cities, it is exceedingly rare that I see any doctor, nurse, or other health professional wearing a mask. Even though most of them know about my health status. Even though they know I'm not there — in unsafe conditions, in rooms where I can easily contract an infection that will land me in the ICU — by choice. I wear a mask, of course, but masks are much more effective if they are worn by potential carriers.
And on that note, why don't all medical facilities have masks available to patients? They provide kleenex, sitting right there on the counters, but not masks. And COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV are still a huge problem in Benton and Franklin Counties, especially with the rise in people who refuse to vaccinate. We even had a measles outbreak last year. Not to mention any of the common illnesses that can take out someone like me.
I want you all to know that I can’t go out to a restaurant anymore, or to the movies, or to the store. The only place I ever go is to the doctor’s, and even that isn’t safe anymore.
I just wish you cared.
— A Girl Who’s Had a Change of Heart