As someone who went through the SARS pandemic 10 years ago in Hong Kong, the most infruriating part of this pandemic has been the masks conversation.

I’ve decided it’s a culture thing.
In the UK, it seems to be “how far can I go to get away with it without getting in trouble”

For example, I went to the physio yesterday, walked in and he was wearing his mask on his chin. There are rules in place for physios to open. If I hadn’t asked him to put it back on, he would have kept it there.

When I went for a sports massage for my chronic pain, he walked in with a visor and the first thing he asked was if I was comfortable with him taking it off. I do not understand this.

As a comparison, in Hong Kong during SARS, masks became common place.

I don’t remember if there was a law or not, because it wasn’t the law that decided it, it was just common sense. If it even marginally lowered the risk then of course. And it stuck, even 10 years on, people in Hong Kong wear a mask in the office if they have a cold.

This isn’t for themselves to not catch anything. It’s for others to not catch what they have.

This is something which western cultures have always made fun of Chinese people for but it’s frankly just respectful.

Also we didn’t debate the severity of SARS, maybe because nearly everyone knew someone who had died from it. Two parents of kids at my school died from it.

But maybe someone can explain to me what it is with the culture here that not only makes fun of masks but refuses to protect others?

Also seems to be a very aesthetic, appearance based insecurity around wearing a mask for “looking silly”

And the less people wear masks, the more the people wearing them are pressured to not. It’s laziness, it’s selfish and I don’t understand it