“Why are you wearing a mask? I don’t have the virus.” That’s one reaction to my mask.
“No beso-beso? Why not? I’m not sick.” Another typical comment.
“A fist bump? But I’m not a fan of you-know-who.” And on and on it goes; different strokes for different folks.
The archdiocese of Manila has drawn up its own protocol for the faithful to protect themselves from CoVid-19. Among others, the bishops suggest communion by the hand only, and no holding hands during certain parts of the liturgy. Did they give their blessings to the “mask wedding” of 220 couples who said their I do’s in one mass wedding in Bacolod City last week? Pictures showed the masked couples kissing with their masks on but their hands were obscured by the brides’ bouquets. Were they advised to forget their bridal night or warned against going on a honeymoon? Love in the time of the novel coronavirus may be the stuff of novels, but can love conquer bacteria?
The wedding reminded me of the “imported case” of the Chinese man who was the first fatality in the Philippines. His girlfriend was first to be detected with the virus, for which she was quarantined. Days later, it was her lover who had succumbed. The irony was that there was no news about his condition when they traveled from Cebu to Dumaguete.
There ought to be a guideline for the use and disposal of face or surgical masks. We are learning that the blue side should face outward but no one has told us how often to change them or how long their efficacy lasts. Does a lipstick stain reduce the mask’s ability to repel the virus? Do we throw a used mask into any trash bin within reach? This is a good time for garbage collectors to demand that they be armed with gloves when they do the rounds in their sick-looking trucks.
Nor have we been assured by experts who are willing to be quoted that traveling in a plane for hours in the company of strangers is safe. Airplanes are not the cleanest places – not their blankets and pillows, not the surfaces of food trays – and most female passengers would skip the lavatory if they could hold it.
