"...(if I split on comma followed by non-whitespace, I will also lose the first character in the word)."

Literally true -- but only applicable if you think no further than splitting on a comma followed by a non-whitespace character; nonsense, otherwise. You need to think through the alternatives.

• What would happen if you merely split on comma?
• What if you state the regex in split as a negative?
• Didn't you read the docs (and thereby find the methods recommended by previous responders)?

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