I promise, this is going to be my last post on the mask as I don’t want to offend anyone. Reason I’m so passionate about this topic is I feel that transparency is important, especially in time of crisis. We need to build trust.
Face masks are so stigmatised across Europe (and the US) that people are being judged for wearing it in public. My husband and I were told by a NURSE that masks “don’t work” and have an “increased risk of infection” while in the hospital as my husband receives his Avastin infusion last week. My husband was so embarrassed that he took his mask out to avoid being judged.
It was the same nurse that subsequently after lecturing us, put his hands on his face multiple times. I saw in the news here that a supermarket cashier was fired because he was wearing a face mask. I think he is as vulnerable as those working in the front line by serving hundreds of customers a day!
I genuinely think people are good — look at everyone here in this forum! We’re here to help, I am pleased to hear that people like Lee and Stu for example are donating blood and their face masks. And for me personally, I can’t physically volunteer because of my husband but I have donated money to WHO. If the government were to say, hey citizens, we need your help to ensure we don’t have shortage, so please stop hoarding masks. Or put a limit to 1 item per person like what they’re doing with hand sanitisers and toilet paper. But please, stop lying to people!
Now I’m not advocating for everyone to wear masks and put further burden to people working in the front line, but I do advocate for people with compromised immune system and the elderly to wear them at all times if they need to go out for a grocery run or hospital visits whilst the outbreak is rampant and out of control.
Articles here on why people have been told they don’t work but they actually do:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opin ... masks.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ ... ths-bustedAnyway I rest my case and those of you here who still want to judge people for wearing masks without knowing that perhaps they have compromised immune system or perhaps are a caregiver to a high risk individual, I feel sorry for you.