But as the pandemic inserted itself into our collective psyche and infection rates and death rates continued to escalate, a dearly held economic concept started dominating the conversation: scarcity. The medical fraternity rightly raised the alarm that if every single person insisted on wearing a surgical mask, there would not be enough stock for medical personnel to tend to the sick and injured.

Fair enough. So we started learning about all the different kinds of masks out there and what potential each mask had to keep the infection rate under control. It turns out there are no solutions – only trade-offs. (In the back of my mind, I see a mountain of disposable plastic PPE discarded and floating in the ocean…). So here are my alternative reasons for not leaving the house without my mask:
 Firstly, my mask is a snood that I bought at the Guns ‘n Roses Not in this Lifetime concert. I cut it in half, so there is always one in the wash. I will not wear any surgical masks until I have to because I agree that the PPE doctors and other medical personnel’s need for them should be prioritised.
 When I wear my GnR snood mask, I realise that it is not an impenetrable medical safety barrier, but it does remind me not to touch my face, and to wash my hands.
 It also reminds me that I may be infected and asymptomatic, in which case I do not want to infect others inadvertently. Even if the mask is only 30 per cent effective (I don’t know for sure), it is better than nothing.
 I wear my mask as a sign of respect for all the people in essential services, those who keep the food chain going and those who face the dangers of being infected more keenly than self-isolators.
 I wear my mask as a sign of solidarity with my fellow South Africans. If we all wear some kind of cloth covering, we will have a visceral sense of beating this virus together, and the sooner we can convince the authorities that we’ve “got this”, the sooner the economy can open up again.
 I wear my mask in the hope that a new industry will blossom, whereby all those dusty old sewing machines will be called up, together with forgotten sewing skills, so that everyone will have access to a cloth mask.
 And, finally, I wear this mask in the hope that we will remember the lessons we learn as a result of Covid-19 – do not screw with nature, be mindful, kind and compassionate and, if you can, help someone who is hungry, sad, sick or hopeless. Then, do it yourself – you do not have to wait for any government to instruct you.

https://carletonvilleherald.com/31582/covid-19-and-the-thing-about-wearing-masks-an-alternative-perspective/