WHAT MASKS REVEAL
“Masks conceal one face, but they reveal
another.”
– Terry Pratchett
BY DR. NURIT ISRAELI
Face masks have become a part of the “new
normal,” a daily necessity, a common sight
in many countries across the globe. Nowadays,
before I step out, I need to decide which
type of face covering to use: determine which
mask offers the necessary level of protection,
choose between a surgical mask and a cloth
mask, establish which mask is least likely to fog
my glasses, which mask will allow me to talk
without slipping below my nose, which mask
fits best over my ears, which mask is most likely
to allow me to breathe. Decisions, decisions...
I used to love masks. Until the days of Covid,
masks were most often associated with festive
occasions. All over the world, there are holidays
for which people put on masks: Halloween in
the US, the Jewish holiday of Purim, Carnival
in Brazil, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Chinese
New Year, and many more. The intention of
holiday masks is to disguise – conceal one’s
identity, or provide an opportunity to temporarily
assume the identity of someone or something
else. Beyond special occasions, masks have not
been the norm in Western countries outside
of operating rooms and other health-related
settings. In parts of Asia, it has been commonplace
to wear face masks to control the spread of
infectious diseases even before Covid-19. Other
than that, masks have been a part of “bandit
fashion”– used by criminals throughout the
world to disguise their identities.
Imagine entering a bank just a year ago with
half your face covered by a mask and your hands
gloved. It wouldn’t have gone unnoticed... Now
in the Covid era, banks are requiring masks.
Yesterday, on line in our local bank, all faces
concealed by required pandemic-related masks,
customers looking like bank robbers were
warmly greeted by masked employees looking
like bank robbers themselves. Surreal...
Wearing masks any time we step out requires
major adjustments: Masks are uncomfortable.
They make breathing more difficult. They
impede communication. They cover identifying
features. This morning, masked, as I took a
walk outdoors, I detected another mask-wearing
walker coming towards me. Only after saying
hello (keeping the required six-feet-apart distance),
I realized who she was – a neighbor I
haven’t seen in a long time. This has become a
part of our routine: meeting “strangers,” looking
intently from the required distance, and trying to
figure out whether or not we know the person
behind the mask. It may not be a bad idea to
wear name tags when we step out of our homes
these days...
Wearing masks during a pandemic is strongly
recommended by experts in epidemiology,
infectious diseases, and virology. Mounting
research demonstrates that protective masks
lower community transmission of Covid-19
and thereby save lives. Masks may not only
protect us from infection but also from severe
illness: Masking reduces the dose of virus a
mask wearer might receive, and a smaller viral
dose results in a less aggressive inflammatory
response. Still, what is unique: we wear masks
not only to protect ourselves from others but,
even more so, to protect others from us.
Knowing that masks are a relatively simple
intervention with a profound impact on pandemic
control: how far are we willing to go to
stay safe? Even more, how far are we willing
to go to protect each other? After all, choosing
to wear or not wear a mask is not a choice one
makes just for oneself, it is a choice one makes
for others as well. This virus is an equal opportunity
offender. It does not care who you vote
for, where you live, which faith you endorse,
what values guide your choices. The term “fair”
is irrelevant to him. All this virus is looking for
is a host. Unfortunately, each one of us would
be good enough...
I cannot resist the temptation to think about
masks metaphorically. We humans habitually
put on emotional masks. We do not reveal ourselves
indiscriminately. Sometimes, we smile
16 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ January 2021