Avoiding covid is about taking preventative measures — not luck

People gather in support of continuing the school mask mandate outside the Loudoun County Government Center on Jan. 18. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Regarding the May 9 front-page article “The lucky few who haven’t caught it”:

The headline and the article implied that luck is needed to avoid catching the coronavirus. The article also suggested that perhaps there is a genetic predisposition that might protect people. However, toward the end of the article, it stated that “masks, vaccines and social distancing can significantly reduce transmission” and “may eclipse any biological differences.”

For most of the pandemic, health-care professionals have clearly stated that these measures will significantly protect people from infection. To this reader, that is the important point. It is irresponsible to suggest that luck or genetic disposition is more significant than the actions individuals can take to protect themselves. Though the government and the media have declared that we “must move on” and “resume normal life,” if you want to minimize your chance of contracting the coronavirus, simply continue the protective measures that have proved effective all along.

Leonard Allen Jewler, Washington