We live in terrible times.

My shopping happens about once a week early in the morning to limit with others. I wear a blue mask and a disinfectant wipe in my hand. This is what I ran into at my local Food Lion at about 7:30 a.m.

A man in a black uniform sneezed in a way that would have woken the dead. He made no attempt to cover his mouth or sneeze into his elbow, a precaution that is not new.

I was about 4 feet away from him. He walked over to an employee who wore a white mask and they talked together. I approached them, and pointed out to him what he had just done was unconscionable  given the health crisis. They looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

I alerted the store manager to who and what had just happened. He continued his conversation with a female employee. I spoke up once more. He asked me if this was a customer or employee. I repeated the details.

He proceeded toward the back of the store. I followed in another aisle and saw all three of them together and identified the person, who disappeared into the back of the meat department. I called Delhaize Risk Assessment and the Rowan County Health Department and gave them the details. Since I identified this person, I thought it might make sense to test this individual. That is written in the stars.

You cannot be in this country and not know about the invisible enemy and the precautions to keep everybody reasonably safe. The purpose of wearing a mask and keeping your distance is to protect others. That is why it is so disheartening that so many show no regard for their fellow man. We have the power to control the virus.

What happened during my trip to the grocery store is proof that the only way to be safe is to stay home. All I can say is God help us all. We live in an age where people have rights but no responsibility.

— Christel Voelske

Salisbury