So far I've avoided any store requiring a mask

Sweden is sort of a weird case. The Swedes mostly followed their government's social distancing and PPE recommendations, which allowed the disease to spread, but not so fast that the Healthcare industry was overwhelmed. Swedes have a high degree of trust in their government and are quick to follow government guidelines. The Somalis and many other immigrants, living in Sweden, didn't follow the guidelines and most of them got sick very, very quickly.

A friend of mine, who taught and did research at IU, who now teaches at another university, shared a study from IU on Covid-19 with me today. In Indiana 2.8% of the population has or had Covid-19. Blacks and Hispanics were infected at a "disproportionately high rate", which the study strongly hinted was due to their failure to follow social distancing and PPE guidelines.

We should open up, but people should still follow suggestions to not get sick. IU estimates that 70% of the population needs to get Covid-19 to have herd immunity.

Keith

My cousin and goddaughter, Brittany, who is a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic posted this link to an interview with Steven Gordon, MD, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Infectious Disease, and pulmonologist Raed Dweik, MD, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Respiratory Institute, about the science around masks and why wearing them is important.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/...k-helps-fight-the-spread-of-coronavirus/

Keith

Covering your sneeze/cough with your hand or jacket is just as effectively as a surgical mask. With a mask, it still allows particles out the sides of the mask. So as long as your hands are free and you do what your trained as a a four year old to do. All the studies show that there's no evidence they do anything to prevent spreading or coming down with influenza either.

Plus you can clean your hands after a sneeze, with a mask, you'll need a new one or smell your own snot the rest of the day