The Masked Tourist
- Jackie W
- Feb 3, 2020
- 2 min read
I have become obsessed with checking my phone several times a day for news. Right now I'm not interested in how Brexit will affect me, or how the impeachment trial is progressing. I am seeking updates on the coronavirus. Being so close in proximity to China, I didn't believe the Filipino government when they said only one case has been reported in the Philippines. Now the first person outside of China has died in Manila, and the fatality wasn't the one case they had reported. Last night I was debating about traveling to Singapore, my next scheduled stop in early March. Regarding stats, which seem to change overnight, Singapore is in the top five countries of reported coronavirus incidences. I try not to panic. I try to rationalize. I try to take precautions. Everything I am reading indicates the flu is a worse virus than the coronavirus. When I arrived in Manila in December, I noticed several people walking around with masks. Typically I would see a handful a day. From my guess, most are Chinese. I used to think a mask was protection for the one wearing it. I recently learned people will wear a mask when they are sick so they don’t infect others. In Manila a lot of motorcycle riders, cyclists, and pedestrians in heavily populated streets will wear masks to combat the pollution and diesel fumes of traffic. Even I have used a buff to mitigate the bursts of exhaust and swirling dust in Manila. Yesterday I was at a park observing the crowd. I estimated 40% of people are now wearing masks, and most are Filipinos, even more if you count the security doormen at retailers and condos, salespeople, and wait staff. I was walking out of a shop yesterday and the young salesman under his mask advises me, "Be safe." This was different as most usually just say "Thank you." I wanted to ask him if he was scared, knowing he would be too young to remember SARS, but I think I knew what his answer would be. So all I said was, "You too."
Comments