There are many videos that show how even non-medical face masks may help us to prevent us from getting the coronavirus or any other virus or infection to a degree, together with washing hands, avoiding crowded places. Uncle Rob shows the proof in his very entertaining experiment below.
However, I have noticed also another benefit of wearing a face covering in a public spaces in the Netherlands. People stare, pause and step away from you more.
Funny..they do not know yet that I am ahead with the fashion trend which will come in a wave in the autumn or winter when the cases will skyrocket again.
People start avoiding me when I wear a face mask.
Either they think I am scary in it or they assume I might be sick, or, the reason I would hope for – they are reminded of the social distancing rule and they decide to respect my effort to protect myself and others.
In the Netherlands, the face masks are not compulsory in all public areas. They are only compulsory in the public transport nad crowded areas of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The measures to minimize the spread of the coronavirus are truly limited in the Netherlands. However, it is not forbidden to wear one at all times in a an enclosed public spaces and crowded open public areas – and that is what I chose to do.
Months ago I started observing that people were keeping themself away from me when I had a mask on as opposed to the situations when I did not. Especially now, being few moths into this Covid-19 pandemic, people seem to almost forget that the super spreadable new virus is still around and currently increases with around 2000 more cases each week in the Netherlands.
Recently, I was in a shop and there was a kid pointing at me and asking her mum something, probably why I was wearing the mask. It still comes as a big surprise for me that people seem surprised in the Netherlands when someone wears a mask, since many countries make obligatory for people to wear them in public.
I feel good when I wear it, unknowingly being around people who might have just came back from a two week holiday in France or other country, most likely did not get tested or went to preventative quarantine…I also enjoy people avoiding me at these times. I have no time to hazard with them and myself.
Why then not to wear one? Worried about the temporary higher levels of CO2 when breathing with the mask? Coronavirus makes it much more difficult to breathe – even in young people, we are not invincible. Also, the face masks are largely affordable (or DIY-able), they don’t make you look ugly (oh, they can cover your ugliness if you will), so if you have them, wear them. Use your investment proactively.
And lastly, wear them mostly out of respect to your health and also to the health of others.
Recent Comments