Anthony Reyes

Anthony Reyes, a 17-year-old, runs through a mental checklist every time he leaves his house. Keys? Check. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check.

“But now I have also added masks to that list,” said Reyes.

When COVID-19 first started to spread, he did not care much for wearing masks. That all changed a few weeks ago when both of his parents caught the virus. Now, masks have become a daily part of his life.

“It was difficult the first few days,” said Reyes, “we were worrying if they would be alright.”

His parents have since recovered, and no longer test positive for the virus. They think that the virus was spread from people at work who weren’t wearing masks.

It was this event that made him feel that masks are much more important than he originally thought. Now, he personally feels that masks should be worn even after this pandemic is over, even if somebody feels ill.

“Places like Japan had been wearing the same type of masks years before this, it is part of the way of life over there,” said Reyes, “a virus or disease would spread slower if this was in effect.”