I felt empathy for Sarah Kehrberg and her family as they endured social ostracism during their COVID-19 affliction (“When my family was unclean,” March 5). I felt that her understanding of the need for social distancing needed some reinforcement. We need to wear masks in public and avoid enclosed, communal spaces, even churches, where we all breathe the same air for an extended time.
White privilege is a factor: People of northern European ancestry, with certain genes, may have intrinsic resistance to the virus. People of color are more likely to work in occupations that do not allow sufficient social distancing and personal protective equipment.
Jerold Meyer, Coshocton, Ohio
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