Just Because You Don’t Have to Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t!

Yeah, wearing masks definitely sucks. But it’s still necessary!

I was at a conference a few days ago. It was held at a local university and in the materials I received to prepare me for the conference, it specifically mentioned that although the mask mandate had been lifted in British Columbia, wearing a mask was required in all indoor spaces on campus.

The only time you didn’t need to wear one was in the eating areas, while you were actually eating and drinking. Finished with your meal? Put your mask back on.

Pretty simple. Not hard to understand or follow, right?

So I walk into the room where the actual conference is progressing and what do I see?

Almost no one wearing a mask. I don’t know how many people were in that room (maybe 80 or so) but I’d say that less than 10% of attendees were following the university regulations.

And even worse, most of the attendees at this conference were in an older demographic. Lots of grey hair in the group!

A high-risk demographic.

Ok, they’ve got a coffee on the table in front of themselves, or a glass of water or a cookie. But they aren’t actively eating or drinking! The occasional sip or bite, which is quite easy to briefly move a mask out of the way to enjoy.

Nope.

Masks were off, worn as elbow decorations, left in pockets, sitting on the tables, hanging below the chin. Anyplace but where they’re supposed to be.

Basically ignored.

I was horrified! Really!

Ummm, there’s this viral pandemic out there and it’s still killing lots of people and causing long-term disease and disability.

And it’s still mutating and forming ever more active strains!

I’m not making this up. It’s real. Do the research yourself.

Here’s a quick little chart from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control site.

Yeah, these ones are not in North America. Yet…….

So I ask myself, why are people behaving like this? I don’t think they actually believe the pandemic is over.

Especially at this event because the people at this event are strong promoters of science that advances their cause.

So they’re not science deniers or people who think science and the evidence it supplies in disease situations like this is wrong.

Not by any means. And that’s why I was so baffled. I expected these folks to be strongly in favour of masking.

And I think it comes down to a simple answer: people are desperate to feel like things are normal again.

Even if they aren’t.

They so want to not have to think about it that they’re willing to essentially put all the risks etc. out of mind.

It is very stressful and emotionally draining and tiring and letting it go for a few days is worth the risk, they felt.

But here’s the rub.

Maybe there are immunocompromised people in the room. Maybe you’re a non-symptomatic carrier. Maybe your last COVID test result was a false negative.

So many dangerous possibilities.

What I don’t want to believe and won’t believe is that you don’t care.

I don’t believe you don’t care

I think everyone cares on some level.

I think you’d be horrified to know it was you that was the person that infected that person or persons, immunocompromised or not, who died because of that transmission.

That you were a super spreader at an event.

So all I ask is that you start acting with the heart that would break if you knew you were responsible for that happening to another person.

And wear your mask indoors.

Yeah, you don’t have to. But you should.

Until next time,

Rich

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