Hey New Jersey, masks work (Opinion)

My daughter is in the healthcare field in Texas, treating cancer patients as a radiation therapist, and she also has a part-time job as an X-ray tech. As in many other states, novel coronavirus cases are rising there along with hospitalizations. She has treated several cancer patients who've tested positive and all have thankfully survived the virus.

The last two weekends at her part-time job, she's noticed more people getting X-rays of their lungs. She said the pictures don't look good and the novel coronavirus really shows up in a scary way. Many of the patients are in their 60s, 70s and 80s, with a handful of younger, yet compromised patients. She asked one of the doctors on the COVID-19 floor: Why are there so many new patients, even though everyone there in the DFW metro area is wearing masks? His answer was telling, yet very simple.

He asked her if she's noticed that very few if any of their colleagues were coming down with the virus. She confirmed that she had not seen any of the staff at either hospital getting COVID-19. He said, "Look at us, we're all wearing properly fitted N-95 masks, face shields, gloves and gowns."

He went on to say that the surgical masks or the cute little cloth masks that people are ordering on Etsy and Amazon don't provide the same protection. Duh! So, as we go into supermarkets, restaurants, workplaces and shops, let's just all admit that we're either just complying so we don't get crap, or virtue-signaling to the world that we care about our neighbors. Masks do work. The right kind and in the right setting, but the majority of what you see in public seems like pointless posturing. But pointless posturing is what many Americans do best these days.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.