Letter to the editor: Wearing masks will help bring an end to coronavirus pandemic

Dear Jackie Hughes, I am writing this email in regards to your article published on the Sumter Item, "5 reasons why I don't want to wear a mask." As someone who has lived in California during the pandemic, a state with a high-volume population and just as high COVID-19 cases, I have been wearing a mask so much it has become a normal thing to me, but reading your article has made me think about the dangers of inhaling carbon dioxide. I have noticed the negative toll wearing a mask while exercising at the gym has had on my energy levels and even my breathing. But I still wear it not only for my own safety, but for others around me as well.

I understand your concerns about the ventilation under masks, so I would suggest getting a mask with an air vent to avoid this happening. Although these masks aren't as effective as N95 masks, for example, wearing this type of mask would be safer than not wearing one at all. In California where I live, there is a high density of people, so social distance can be difficult to impossible at times. In your article you also mentioned staying home when sick, which I, too, would do if I were showing symptoms, but there are many people who are asymptomatic and can still spread the pathogen to others. There are also situations where people have no other support, so must go out themselves to purchase necessities and groceries since online services can be quite expensive.

Personally, I hate wearing masks because my skin is extremely acne prone and it makes me feel extremely hot, but I do wear it because of my own and others' protection. I wear it because I want this pandemic to be over, and the most efficient way for that to happen is if we all (everyone affected by the pandemic) gain the same mindset to avoid spreading the virus. Thank you so much for your time.

JERRYL WONG

California