Day 17 – Masks on

N-95 masks were already running scarce mid-February, but I was able to purchase a few from Amazon in mid-February as a safeguard for our mid-March family trip to Italy. I planned to give one to each of the kids to protect themselves on the long trans-Atlantic flight. We had to cancel it over COVID-19. SM, my daughter advised me to hold on to them just in case we would need them later. My initial reaction was, why would we need them if we’re staying home? For the lay person, N-95 masks are not comfortable to wear for extended periods, but better be annoyed than infected.

Made from a unique melt-blown fabric, both the N-95 and surgical flat face masks are capable of stopping infectious particles, even those which are smaller than a micron in diameter. It’s an excellent way to contain the spitting effect from most speakers. That’s why in Hong Kong and South Korea, everyone wears masks. It’s both a shield from contagion and a tool to assuage societal concerns: when everyone uses them, it conveys a general feeling of caring.

The unavailability of masks in the market has triggered American ingenuity. There are several DYI webpages where you can find masks made from T-shirt fabric and elastic ribbon to a version constructed from a tea towel with fabric straps that appears in a piece in the The New York Times’ Style section under the title How to Sew a Face Mask, it includes pattern and instructions.

SM and her husband, Andy, visit me weekly. Each Sunday they arrive loaded with provisions to keep me well-fed and chuck full of disinfecting supplies. Even though it is a short visit, we follow the safe distance stipulated by health experts, and they both wear surgical masks and gloves—a fact received with ignorant amusement by some. My daughter shook her head while commenting: “The folks at the front desk were laughing at us for wearing masks.”

• IH: Should I say anything to the board?
• SM: No, let them… it’s their right to react. And ours to wear masks and be extra careful.
• IH: Do you really think they’re warranted?
• SM: Absolutely!

SM responded with the certainty that made one think she was in direct contact with our new national hero: Dr. Anthony Fauci. Albeit lacking the Fauci connection, many of SM’s choices are made by following her well-informed intuition.

My favorite well-informed and socially conscious couple wears surgical masks and gloves anytime they go anywhere: Costco, Publix, pick up food at a local restaurant. Is it hyperbolic on their part? More than once I questioned the validity of those precautions. But as time goes on and the pandemic grows in devastation, it becomes more and more evident one cannot take enough protective measures. For the time being, wearing masks is turning into the new reality on the COVID-19 social landscape.