I am not a medical professional. I'm an author. I live in NYC. I want to make a point about masks, and why they matter. I have been here all throughout this. I can tell you what it was like at the worst of it. The sirens never stopped. I saw neighbors come out on stretchers.

It killed someone who worked in our building. It killed several family friends. We started wearing masks in NYC, and numbers started going down. The masks in NYC made a massive difference. I try to work out why people won't or don't, and I wonder, do they not believe?

I saw it. I don't even work in a hospital and I saw it. It was terrifying. Wearing a mask is a simple and effective way of protecting other people, and through that, yourself. If you don't or haven't--don't feel guilty. Just start. It's that easy.