- by Andy Rausch and Joe Reinecker

Judging from the number of Kansans walking around without masks or gloves, it would be easy for an uninformed person to believe those things are no longer needed. That, however, is far from the truth. Judging from the spikes in Covid-19 cases across the country (yesterday saw America break the single-day record for new cases with 45,557) it's clear that while many Americans are done with the pandemic, but the pandemic is not done with them.

“Clearly the numbers are showing that the pandemic is not over by any stretch of the imagination,” says Labette Health nurse practitioner Ben Cochran. “We are seeing spikes lately, so we are still encouraging people to take precautions and be safe.”

Cochran said those precautions include wearing masks in public, wearing gloves, using soap or hand sanitizer, and practicing social distancing.

There are many people who believe that wearing the mask is dangerous, but Cochran doesn't believe this. “There is not a whole lot of scientific evidence to back up claims that wearing a mask is dangerous.”

So, in short, put on those masks and take precautions, folks.