Why do Hong Kongers wear a mask amidst Covid-19?
If it’s not the government, what enforces such habit?
This article is not intended for the discussion of whether masks are effective against Covid-19.
Honestly, I am impressed by the patience of you folks debating on its effectiveness scientifically. A typical Hong Konger would simply shrug and say, ‘Who CARES about science? It just works!’
No, we wear masks not because we are told by our government. Indeed earlier in February, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam had also advised government officials not to wear a mask in public, just like Donald Trump.
So what fuels our unwavering faith in masks?
We are obliged to ridicule your recklessness
Not until recently, ‘maskaphobia’ had loomed over London’s street corners, where victims were abused verbally or even physically in extreme cases.
In Hong Kong things are completely the opposite. Mask serves as a permit to go outside. Not wearing one is like driving without a license — you are posing threat to the public.
This rule is enforced by something even more powerful than law — we call it ‘Online Public Trial’.
This grumpy old man became the talk of the town, as he insisted on boarding a bus without a mask on. The passengers, enraged, told him to get off as the driver refused to move on had he stayed.
And we show no mercy to expats. This fund manager had to apologize publicly at Facebook, as he secretly took off his mask, smearing saliva on a pole at train.
As a responsible citizen, we feel obliged to film these wrongdoings, post and share them online. Think of it as ‘a walk of atonement’ — whoever breaches our well-established rules deserves being trialed and ridiculed.
Don’t be overwhelmed. You usually won’t cause that much drama simply for not wearing a mask. Beware though: as your friend or colleague, it’s our duty to gossip about your personal hygiene and selfishness, had we caught you sneezing without a mask in the same train.
Home is not the safest place, a lesson learnt from SARS
I feel incredibly jealous whenever I see my friends posting foodporns at restaurants, while I have no idea about when I can enjoy a relaxing weekend inside some cafes again.
So why do people in Hong Kong, a city more densely populated than London, are still going outside instead of keeping social distancing? Here’s my explanation.
Little is known about the new Covid-19, so we cope with it by learning from the past — the SARS outbreak in 2003.
A residential complex called Amoy Gardens was hit hard by a wave of infections. In one of the residential blocks, nearly half of the residents were infected. A later investigation suggested that the SARS virus may be spread via drainage systems.
That concluded one thing: Home might not be the safe place as it seems, unless you are those rich enough to live in a villa.
Plus, our government would never been generous enough to introduce a furlough subsidy to keep people indoors. Chances are that your neighbour, who live just upstairs, may carry the disease from the outside, then infect you when they poo!
If staying at home does not significantly lower the probability of getting infected, why don’t we go out and have fun as usual? Particularly when restaurants and shopping malls are still open!
Of course, with greater freedom comes greater responsibility. This goes back to my previous point: mask is an agreed permit for going outdoors. Wear one.
Nevertheless, the government did make mask wearing compulsory, only if we dine inside restaurants. But it was already 29 March when the law took effect, whilst we have been wearing one long before that.
‘2 boxes, thanks.’
Now, the UK government suggests people making their own masks.
It’s ‘making’ not ‘buying’, because medical masks should be prioritized for medical workers. Indeed, I tried to get some from chain stores like Boots or local pharmaceuticals, all to no avail.
A few months ago, such shortage of mask haunted most Hong Kongers as well. This buzzword, ‘2 boxes, thanks’, best summarized the panic. As soon as somebody offered to sell masks at Facebook, replies like ‘2 boxes, thanks’, flooded within minutes.
Let’s be clear. We didn’t hoard for ourselves, but for our family.
In a typical Asian family like mine, we never express our love with bullshits like ‘I love you.’ Only during this darkest times would we realize how strong our family bond is.
‘Have you got enough masks in London? I’ve got spare for you.’
This is a text I received from my mother, my aunt and two of my cousins. It is the most touching message ever in our conversations.
Perhaps the rationale is much more straightforward than I interpreted.
In the absence of strict rules of social distancing, a furlough scheme and a decisive government, wearing a mask seems to be the cheapest and simplest, if not scientifically proven, way to guard against this mysterious killer.
And in hindsight, mask-wearing countries do experience lower infection rates, which further supports our belief in masks.
But I must say that, I am one of those Londoners who don’t wear a mask. Partly because the social distancing measures give me piece of mind, partly because I won’t get backstabbed if I am not wearing one.
To wear or not to wear, the east and west are still divided. But one thing is true, we all hope this Covid-19 storm will soon be over.