Current Controversies: Masks

Today, we awoke to this headline on the paper.

Many of you may be aware that the whole Mask Issue has been going on for a while. The main problem is that there aren't enough medical-grade masks for everyone, and we should reserve them for medical professionals.

In response patterns and instructions for making homemade masks have popped up all over the internet. There seem to be three main kinds of homemade masks:
The pleated ones

The pointy ones that allow for an extra filter to be inserted

No-sew masks

But here's the thing: there doesn't seem agreement over whether face masks are even a good idea. CDC recommends them

But WHO does not seem to recommend them, except if you're taking care of sick people.

One of the problems: It's weird to wear a mask! Wearing them tends to make people fiddle with them and consequently, touch their face a lot. Also: do they even filter anything other than giant drops of spit? I'm thinking they're like using a chain link fence to keep mosquitoes out.

So really, I'm not sure how I feel about the Mask Issue.

Still, I did wear a mask yesterday when I went to the grocery store. It was more crowded than I thought, so I put on my mask. I had to keep thinking don't touch it, don't touch it.

I noticed a few things from wearing it. I could feel my breath, fogging up in behind the mask. I felt a bit self-conscious as very few other people were wearing masks.

And I didn't feel I needed to smile the kind of placating smiling that many women do in public. This was the strangest sensation. As a woman, I probably smile as a way to appease others: "See--I'm smiling. You can let me pass." But no one could see most of my face!

As I walked through the aisles--not showing an alert and appeasing face, not speaking to anyone--I felt more relaxed than usual. I thought to myself this must be what it's like to be a man.