Editorial: As masks come off, it's OK some people want to keep them on

The Daily Herald Editorial Board

During the pandemic, we've had one consistent theme on this page: Listen to the experts.

We took seriously - and exhorted readers to do the same - when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Illinois Department of Public Health and county and municipal health departments made recommendations on how we could protect ourselves from COVID-19. We paid attention to the numbers of sick and dead citizens; information on how the virus is spread; the differences in variants; and when the experts dismissed quack cures for COVID-19.

While their guidance has sometimes changed as information about the disease advanced, the experts have been proved right time and time again about the nature of the virus. They told us how it spreads, that the vaccines would go a long way to keeping most people safe from the worst COVID-19 cases and that masks and social distancing really did work.

So with the CDC and other health authorities announcing that in many cases, it is OK to be indoors and around other people without wearing a mask, we believe them now, too.

We are not saying that people who want to continue masking up in public shouldn't be allowed to. Nobody else is endangered when individuals wear masks.

The CDC relaxed multiple mask recommendations on Feb. 25. And as "mask-optional" becomes the standard in most of Illinois, it's important to remember the word "optional."

It's evident from looking around this past week that many people still want to wear masks - out of concern for themselves or for others. One hopes they won't be hassled or intimidated; they certainly shouldn't feel intimidated, even if almost everyone else in the grocery store is unmasked.

Moreover, out of necessity the CDC recommendations paint with a broad brush, even though mask usage is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

As we make our own decisions, experts say each of us should ask ourselves who is the most vulnerable person in our immediate world and draw our conclusions accordingly. And yes, this includes children, who may be carrying the burden of keeping a health-challenged family member safe by not bringing home the virus from school.

As Daniel Gregory of Downers Grove told our Marni Pyke last week, he had COVID some months ago and recovered fine. He's not "too scared" about it anymore.

"But I recognize there are plenty of people who might still have issues with COVID, like my mother," Gregory added, "so anything to keep them safe."

"Anything to keep them safe," is a good watchword for us all. Even though transmission has dropped dramatically, the virus is still among us. Just do what is right for you and your family and we'll all get along just fine.