Masks are an inconvenience?

When I lived in the Cook Islands, there was an outbreak of hemorrhagic dengue fever, which is transmitted through mosquitoes. There were a LOT of mosquitoes on the island. We had one doctor on our island who we nicknamed Dr. Death--he was that bad.

I did not want to get this disease, it is truly horrific. I did not want to risk my health with Dr. Death, or have to seek treatment on a larger island or in New Zealand, for financial reasons. So, whenever I left the house, I DOUSED myself in mosquito spray. DOUSED.

Not just any spray, though, the spray with the highest DEET content possible. Head to toe in DEET. Every day. In the scorching heat, sweating DEET out my pores. Words can explain how gross and sticky and smelly it was.

And because I was working, I had to go outside a lot.

I lived like this, soaked in DEET, for months. We all did. Because who in their right mind wants hemorrhagic dengue fever??? There was no guarantee I wouldn't get it--mozzies could still sneak in and bite me while I slept, after alll--but I stood a much better chance with DEET.

We all hated wearing it. We all couldn't wait for that shower at the end of the day to wash off the DEET. But you do what you have to do to stay healthy.

Now that...THAT was an inconvenience. A mask? PFFFFT. I put it on before I go in the store and take it off when I'm done.

A mask is about as easy peasy as it gets. Wearing a mask is nothing. And, like DEET, it's no guarantee, it's just a layer of extra protection for folks around me.

Folks complaining about wearing masks really need to spend a day covered in DEET while shopping. Then we can talk.