The anti-maskers are right when they say masks aren’t 100% effective. The pro-face-touchers are right when they say not touching your face isn’t enough. The bar-hoppers and close-talkers and eaters-in-crowded-diners are right when they say social distancing alone won’t stop the spread of a pandemic. The “98.2% survival rate” crowd is right that most people who get COVID-19 don’t die.

But the more steps each of us takes (staying home; masking up and staying away from each other when we do go out) the better off we all are.

The “98.2 percent survival crowd” is dangerously fixating on a tiny piece of the whole complex puzzle. Even if you’re one of the lucky ones who is asymptomatic or who has only mild symptoms, you can still pass it along to someone who will die or possibly serious life-long health issues.