Coronavirus face masks: why covering up is becoming the new normal
by Emma Graham-Harrison Philip Oltermann in Berlin Sa from Science | The Guardian on (#52P2G)
Even western countries are starting to accept that shielding our faces could save lives " whether you live in New York or Berlin
When coronavirus emerged in China, people across much of the region were quick to start wearing some form of face mask when they went out in public. Memories of the Sars epidemic were still strong, and there is a cultural tradition of wearing masks to protect oneself and others.
In the west, however, even though masks sold out as fast as hand sanitiser in chemists and online as people stockpiled supplies, initially there was widespread reluctance to wearing face coverings in public.
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