Masks, Hugs, and Proof Gaps

On March 15, 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Elijah hugged his coworker, Juan Martinez, in a PATH employee locker room after resolving an argument. Neither wore masks. Martinez had been experiencing symptoms he described as resembling a head cold—dizziness, coughing, heavy breathing, and headaches—though as a smoker, he considered seasonal coughs normal.