Still doubting the face mask? New research shows why you’re wrong – Wall Street Journal

I'm of the millennial creed and have been social distancing way before CR said it was cool. But my neighbour is rebellious. So much so that she gets visitors every day. Right now, she's living life on the edge – confidently and without a care in the world. In lockdown-speak, she's the walking dead. Part of me is jealous of her confidence (read: ignorance) and the other part of me is appalled beyond belief. I mean, I have not had a real life conversation since March and here she is hosting dinner parties, touching unsanitised railings, door handles and everything in-between. How dare she? Is she not also one of CR's fellow South Africans? In her books (or rather WhatsApp chain messages) she will never conform to the government, after all, the virus has been created by 5G and of course – it's all a Bill Gates money-making scheme. Yes, I can hear her dinner table conversations from my living room, but that's not the point. The point is, out of all the atrocities she could commit, my neighbour has a knack for stepping outside her apartment at the same time as I'm about to exit my weekly hibernation. In these intense moments, maskless, she continues to spray out a flurry of frivolous complaints within the distance of a pencil (I live in Cape Town, apartment living is tight). This germ-filled one-sided exchange sees me turn my back and seek homage towards my already-locked front door, all the while trying not to touch any handles. This is followed by an extensive monitoring of symptoms for the next two weeks. If you're like my overtly confident neighbour, the science – and the Wall Street Journal – says you should wear a mask. For my sanity and to save lives, please follow suit. – Nadim Nyker

Face masks really do matter. The scientific evidence is growing.

By Caitlin Mcabe