Differences in Mask Wearing: East vs West
China’s rise in COVID-19 cases on Agust 3rd is 238, the USA is 47,893 according to the CSIS. It appears that many East Asian countries are actually going down with COVID cases while the United States thousands of people continue to catch this virus, which leads to the question of why? This can be answered using one word: masks.
American Views on Masks
Back in March, multiple news outlets stated that a mask is unnecessary and not purchase any. Currently, in August, thousands wear homemade masks or any kind of facial protection.
The use of masks has not been embedded in American culture. When a person is sick, they usually stick go into work and their days are still normal. In fact, according to the CNBC 90% of employees have gone into work sick.
Many people have gone out and protested to not be forced to wear a mask in a public outing. There were 150 demonstrators who decided to protest in Salt Lake City with no masks. In many cases, wearing a mask is seen as an obstacle to many American citizens.
Recently, states like Florida and Arizona have skyrocketed with recent COVID cases and are also states that have opened prematurely. Many people in America have respected social distancing and health precautions, while some have not been practicing these guidelines.
East Asian Countries
Wearing a mask is not only about having a case of sniffles but as a matter of respect. It’s a custom to wear a mask when one is feeling sick or they would be considered as impolite.
When it was announced that masks would be mandatory citizens in east Asian countries, individuals in these countries would simply them as a way to protect others; however, this is not something that is just expected of a person but is also strictly enforced by their government. In China you could be arrested for not wearing a mask, in Singapore, you may be charged 210 dollars.
This is not something new to people living in these countries. For example, in China, wearing masks for pollution or smog is popular. During the SARs pandemic masks were also extremely popular. This popularity of masks has been shown in fashion as well. Different trends regarding masks and there are also masks on fashion runways. All in all, masks are extremely common, recommended, and seen as simply the right thing to do as a person in East Asian countries.
The Takeaway
“Japan, I think a lot of people agree, kind of did everything wrong, with poor social distancing, karaoke bars still open and public transit packed near the zone where the worst outbreaks were happening….But the one thing that Japan did right was masks.” — Jeremy Howard (University of San Diego Researcher)
The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation stated that it’s predicted that 33,000 deaths could have been avoided by October 1st if 95% of the population wore a mask. Let’s protect our loved ones and come out stronger from this pandemic.
Sources
1.AbigailJHess. “A Sobering Stat during Coronavirus Fears-90% of Employees Admit They Have Gone to Work When Sick.” CNBC, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2020, www.cnbc.com/2019/11/03/90percent-of-employees-say-they-come-to-work-sickheres-how-to-fix-that.html.
2.Beer, Tommy. “Anti-Mask Rallies Continue In U.S. Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases And Deaths.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 16 July 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/07/16/anti-mask-rallies-continue-in-us-amid-rising-coronavirus-cases-and-deaths/#25e4796a2246.
3.Ferdous, Photograph by Ismail. “America’s Face-Mask Culture Is Changing, and Their Meaning Changes Too.” Americans Are Wearing Masks Now, and Their Meaning Is Changing, 27 Apr. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/coronavirus-america-face-mask-culture-changing-meaning-changes-too/.
4.“Southeast Asia Covid-19 Tracker.” Southeast Asia Covid-19 Tracker | Center for Strategic and International Studies, 16 July 2020, www.csis.org/programs/southeast-asia-program/southeast-asia-covid-19-tracker-0.
5.Wong, Tessa. “Coronavirus: Why Some Countries Wear Face Masks and Others Don’t.” BBC News, BBC, 12 May 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-52015486.
Interested in learning more about Linens N Love? Visit LinensNLove.org or follow us on Instagram @LinensNLove to stay connected with the Linens N Love community!
Edited by Rena Watanabe, Director of Research Bloggers
