CARTER COUNTY, Mo. — Coronavirus is on the rise in rural America.
In Carter County, Missouri, public health officials have become the unlikely villains of the town's residents, many of whom are resistant to their efforts to control the virus.
"I think there is a stigma to wearing a mask. Like, I know, I’ve talked to people, and I’ve heard them say, 'Well, I want to wear a mask, but I’m afraid people will judge me and think I’m weird. Or a sheep,'" said Michelle Walker, the administrator of the Carter County Health Center. "Yeah. That's what I’ve been called. I feel like people really hate me right now."
Michelle Walker runs the Carter County Health Center, which wasn't a controversial job until COVID-19. She said many residents resent her team’s efforts to control a virus they don't believe can be controlled.
"At first, they were very scared and very aware. But recently, they're bored with it. Everybody's tired of it," said Walker.
COVID is spiking in rural America, including in the Ozarks.
"In my opinion, a lot of people don't think of the severity of the illness or even the reality of the illness. They just think it's affecting their everyday life. COVID took away normal country living," said Dakota Turley, a nurse at Carter County Health Center.
Walker said Carter County's positivity rate has risen to 30% in the last week and the cases went from 40 in August to about 200 now. That's a lot in a county with just 6,000 people, no hospital, and two ambulances.
Everyone knows everyone here. They know who's in quarantine, and who wears masks.
"There's a lot of shaming. A lot of the reason why we're seeing cases on the rise now is because people don't want to get tested because they don't want to affect people's lives. And they don't want to risk their aunt, uncle, niece, or their ball team getting quarantined," said Walker.
Now, people at the health department feel like now they're kind of hated in town.
"They are," said Brian Keathley, a Carter County resident. "We're really fortunate to have them there until they start telling people how to live their lives. To be perfectly honest with you, if I walk through town wearing a mask there will be somebody that calls me a hippie for wearing a mask."
When COVID first hit, Bryan Keathley and his family stockpiled goods, and stayed home for weeks.
Now, he says he's over it and says it’s gotten too political.
"We sit in the coffee shop and watch people walk in the door. Yeah, I’m looking at a mask and we all look at each other and we go [mock points] “Democrat.” “It's a political virus," said Keathley.
"Trump should have been a leader,” said Keathley. “And he should have, he should have got up in front of the podium and said, “everyone wear their masks. It's a really good mask. It's a really, really good mask, we have the greatest mask ever. Nobody cares what Trump has to say. There's no politician, no person of authority of any kind that can issue any kind of order that's going to make people abide by this."
But, Walker sees the issue differently.
"I don't know what it would take for people to take it more seriously. I'm just really tired of people insinuating that it's about politics when it's really about people's health," said Walker.
So, for now, the town is divided, as many are revolting against any idea of a mask mandate in Missouri.
“And revolting to the point that they're maybe causing a little damage,” said Keathley. “But does that make you a bad human when you finally just give in and realize and say, 'It's here to stay?' I can't help everybody and I can't keep everyone safe and I know there's a chance that I might get it and it’s a calculated risk. I guess if I get it and it kills me then it's slow walking and sad singing for the family."