It is disturbing the reports I am seeing both in news outlets and from online posters about spiking COVID in Arizona where most of my family of origin now resides.
Mom and dad are hopefully, and reportedly, home sheltering, but receive guests, to wit: my siblings and their families. They mostly visit outside and maintain distance. My sister posted a video doing mom's hair (she was a police officer by trade, not a hair stylist). Dad is missing most of his hair and cuts what little he has left on his own. At least my sister had a mask on.
Here in rural Iowa I took surgical masks to my barber over the weekend and asked him to wear one while he cut my hair. He refused. I told him I would be back when the pandemic ends. I have a daughter working with elderly patients who is home for the summer. I am not going to put everyone at greater risk than need be, including myself, or my barber. We have a Cost Cutters franchise and in this town it is the only hair cutting place I am aware of that requires everyone to wear masks. Say what you want about large corporations but some of them do have standards of care.
A day or two later in my barber's town of about 800 I learned there was a nurse at the nursing home who had COVID. Almost at the same time it was announced we had our first COVID-19 death in Delaware County. There are multiple articles from researchers concluding the pandemic would end if there were 80% compliance with wearing masks in public. I know that is somewhat speculative, but at least scientists are postulating it. For years your surgeon, and his staff wore masks. Your dentist wore a mask when you opened your fat mouth in front of him. We know that was for our protection.
Good night, my friends.
