Should you still wear a face mask?

Some countries are relaxing the requirement to wear a mask in public places indoors, but is it wise? Plus, why I’m not going abroad on holiday this year.

A couple of weeks ago I visited London for work and had to take the Underground. As I walked into the station I pulled my face mask from the pocket of my trousers and put it on. It is after all, the law to wear face coverings in train stations across the United Kingdom, unless you are medically exempt. Unbeknown to me, my visit to London coincided with a large “anti-lockdown” march that was due to take place in the centre of the city. I watched as people who planned to go to the march boarded the train, unmasked, talking loudly and giving those of us who were wearing masks glaring looks. I will be honest, it was intimidating. One man was walking up and down the train, shouting loudly about how the pandemic was a big conspiracy and how all of us who were adhering to the rules around mask wearing were either sheep or complicit. He then went on to vandalise the train by placing “anti-mask” stickers on all the windows. I was glad when my stop arrived. This polarised view on masks is not unique to the UK; other countries have seen populations divided as masks symbolise the “health versus economy” debate. This has been most apparent in the United States where, according to surveys, while most Americans chose to wear a face covering during the worst of the pandemic, Democrat voters were more likely to wear them compared to Republican supporters. This has been reflective of the stance taken by party leaders. Democrats have been more vocal about the importance of mask wearing while Republican leaders have been more hesitant in the mandating of masks, including Donald Trump himself while he was still president.