The citizens of Planet Earth have been wearing masks for almost two years, or rather have been forced to do so in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, which seems very reluctant to contribute to the long-awaited unmasking of Homo sapiens. There have been varying degrees of outcry or complaints or perceived dangers of continually wearing masks. In a way, citizens are showing signs of acute mask fatigue which is actually very unfair to even hint at in light of the pandemic fatigue experienced by the tirelessly working medical fraternity, particularly during peak periods like the disastrous Second Wave in India. . . However, the citizens’ angle is not to be missed, because this is very real; in some cases, mask weariness led to large protest marches/uprisings in the US or in some European countries like Germany. Therefore, it becomes our noble duty to analyze the factors while, of course, keeping our mask of sincerity securely in place.
All around us, we have been getting used to seeing people mask up in very unique ways: some loosening it up a bit more so that the nose remains visibly exposed as if they have only now realized the importance of this organ when it comes to the inhalation of oxygen. and the exhalation of nitrogen refers; some are even bolder wearing it as a necklace that hangs below the chin; some are even more daring by keeping it in their pocket or purse and using it the moment law enforcement authorities show up; and similar to this class some others do the same by entering shopping complexes or the like where the ‘no mask no entry’ sign is prominently displayed and the moment they enter they promptly tell the vendors that they have the masks, no problem (in fact, the mostly masked vendors or shopkeepers shouldn’t just smile sympathetically at them, they should command: ‘if you’ve got it, why not wear it?’).
Senior citizens have not complained much as they realize the undeniable fact that they are the most vulnerable part of the population to get infected. However, vaccination at the full doses required makes them a bit bolder to start complaining, if not to ditch the masks altogether. They often refer to some doctors (we don’t know if they were real or fictitious) who advise them not to wear the masks while walking in the morning or at night, as it can negatively affect the breathing process. But many seniors, including myself, have not experienced any discomfort when taking walks with masks on. Therefore, some of them don’t wear it at all, and some show the other wearing styles, such as leaving the nose out or wearing it as a necklace.
The young male community turns out to be the latest example in violating this business of wearing masks with utter disdain, particularly after getting vaccinated. Their basic instinct to impress the most beautiful opposites is a huge factor, because with half of their faces hidden, they can’t afford to show off their beautiful features, as well as some other ‘awesome’ activities or habits. Their ‘brave’ and ‘gentlemanly’ display is abundantly displayed on the streets, in markets, in parks or playgrounds and while riding the ‘brave heart’ racing bikes, not only putting other lives in danger of being hit but also to spread the disease. We call them the future of a country, but unfortunately they do not understand their duty to everyone in the families or the other community outside or inside.
The community of young women had shown great interest, at the beginning of the pandemic era, in wearing the masks and many of them were diligently searching for masks that perfectly matched their dresses or actively participating in the more expansive pandemic industry of mask manufacturing. . But, as in other cases, their interests were slowly and steadily superseded by mask fatigue influenced by similar instincts to show off their beautiful countenances with the full use of cosmetics such as lipstick that has been tremendously affected by the pandemic. Therefore, they have completely stopped wearing the masks, without even following the unique styles of wearing, as all this would negatively affect their beauty to varying degrees and prevent them from creating the desired impressions.
There is one very crucial mask fatigue causative factor that affects all the mentioned communities: the prolonged summer thanks to global warming which leads to the accumulation of sweat inside the masks and makes it extremely uncomfortable to wear them continuously. But why not take more than one mask with you? Take it off when it becomes unbearable, wipe your face with a disinfected tissue and put on the second mask; we reject There are large numbers of inexpensive masks available in the market. In addition, the sweat also enters the trips/exits, unnecessarily and crowding the trains or the subway trains or the flights or the buses or the markets; like when during the Durga Puja festival ‘devotees who eat only’ filled the fronts of houseful restaurants in the Indian city of Kolkata in particular, waiting for hours in the dead of night and, of course, not caring about due masks. . to constant sweating or that they would have to take it off anyway once they came in to eat. There is general agreement on this that you can’t eat with your masks on.
Governments or authorities have been in the act of making mask wearing mandatory all the time and some have had to impose penalties for violations. The authorities are also looking at patterns of mask behaviour, mandating that ‘masks not be worn under the nose or as a necklace’. But unfortunately, the citizens of Planet Earth feel that ‘enough is enough’ and that the ‘unmasking process’ must be started by hook or by crook. In India, with the festival of Diwali approaching, this mask fatigue could instead usher in another peak of the pandemic, completely reversing the desired ‘unmasking’ process, God forbid. Indian states always ban firecrackers during Diwali celebrations, but allow ‘green crackers’, whose ambiguous definition leads to regular pollution and undaunted ‘firepower’ crowds as seen last year.
We must conclude with a disclaimer that no generalization is intended in this article. In fact, a large part of the population still follows the rules like wearing a mask very sincerely, including people from all the communities mentioned here. The only concern is the growing number of ‘unmasked covidiots’ putting the rule-abiding population at risk. To assume a serious tone at the end, it is medically proven that vaccines do not guarantee total protection against infection, but only reduce the serious type of the disease and hospitalization; but people with many other diseases and low immunity are still at high risk and careless young people endanger their lives by carrying the virus and spreading it.