When someone like me, who has worked for 20 years in extremely busy emergency departments, says that we have never seen this many sick patients with viral infections before, please listen. This tsunami of illness is NOT typical and is the worst I have ever experienced.

Sadly, unless we institute decisive public health measures, this viral surge of Covid, influenza and RSV will worsen. The more people who get infected, the more who will get very sick and die from these infections, including children. Universal mask mandates are needed now.

We must stop the useless debate about why we are swimming in this viral soup. We know that masks work to decrease the viral spread and that better masks work better. Everyone in indoor public spaces, including schools, should be wearing well-fitting, respirator-style (N95) masks.

Public health and school board officials must do their jobs to protect our communities and prevent the needless deaths of more people, including kids, by instituting mask mandates. Personal choice and strong recommendations have not worked.

Everyone in our communities should be provided with respirator-style (N95) masks, including kids. Finally, we must address the elephant in the room, ventilation and filtration. We share the air we breathe, and respiratory viruses spread like smoke. We must clean the air.