Increased layering of makes has become more common across the Twin Cities after the CDC recently recommended vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals begin wearing masks again to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Along with this reversion back to prevaccine, there have also been several unverified reports suggesting multiple masks may increase protection against infection. Without taking unintended health risks into consideration, some have turned to the vintage saying of ‘the more the merrier’.
Harry Spatzky, owner of the local corner shop called Snakes and Sparklers, read those unverified reports and doubled down by doubling up. He strapped on 4 layers of homemade cloth over his airways in an attempt to prevent infection. While successful in blocking harmful germs from entering his body, Harry also was preventing oxygen from entering his lungs. This undocumented side effect ultimately landed him in the last place he wanted to be; the hospital.
“I kept seeing all the news reports of just how deadly the Delta variant is and wanted to keep me and my customers safe,” Harry told us over his bedside phone while recovering at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.
Harry has been struggling to keep the doors of his 1,500 sqft store open as customers have been reluctant to reenter brick and mortar stores.
“Online sales have dropped since I can’t keep up with the Amazon’s of the world. So I had to open the doors and try to drum up business.”
All that drumming and all those masks almost cost him his life. After about an hour of phone calls and flagging down street shoppers, Harry began getting light headed. The last thing he could remember is leaning against the open door of his shop when everything began spinning.
An estimated five minutes passed before local shopper Marcy Stevens happened to walk by and noticed Harry laying face down and unconscious on the concrete sidewalk. She sprung into action, pulled a pocket knife from her purse, and cut the masks from Harry’s face.
Below is an excerpt we obtained from her police statement:
…I saw that he had a wad of cloth covering his face. At first I thought someone had shoved a towel in his mouth, but when I saw that they were masks tied around his head I began cutting…
When Harry was told of the woman’s heroics he said with a tear in his eye, “I thank God she was walking by when she did. She saved my life.” After regaining his composure, he then said, “But I also pray that she saw that CDC report and was wearing multiple masks. The last thing I need right now is to get infected.”
