Why do some asians wear surgical masks? (school, allergies)

[nycnyc11209]

Are they just germaphobic or they have some disease

[HarperQuinn]

Originally Posted by nycnyc11209

Are they just germaphobic or they have some disease

Some wear it because of air pollution/bad air, some to prevent illness/colds and others as a fashion accessory. I am not Asian but I sometimes wear it due to severe allergies (back and forth to car) or on the rare occasion when I ride public transportation so it freaks others out and no one sits next to me.

[Vernikova]

I sometimes wear it when I'm sick and refuse to miss out on school or work. I assume most wear it when they're sick too.

[BlakeJones]

Originally Posted by nycnyc11209

Why do some asians wear surgical masks?

Answer: mostly uneducated paranoia. What they fail to realize is that those cheap dollar store masks don't have any sort of proper air flow patterns and let microbes and particulate in through the sides. Not only that, but the mask materials for the air that does come through the filter doesn't really prevent small particulate and pathogens from entering the airways. These people are just not the sharpest tools in the shed.

The small percentage that do wear because they're sick, however, are probably doing everyone a favor if they cough into it. If they have some sort of communicable disease through plain air, then they shouldn't be out in public to begin with

[honeynutcocopuffs]

Originally Posted by blakejones

answer: Mostly uneducated paranoia. What they fail to realize is that those cheap dollar store masks don't have any sort of proper air flow patterns and let microbes and particulate in through the sides. Not only that, but the mask materials for the air that does come through the filter doesn't really prevent small particulate and pathogens from entering the airways. These people are just not the sharpest tools in the shed.

The small percentage that do wear because they're sick, however, are probably doing everyone a favor if they cough into it. If they have some sort of communicable disease through plain air, then they shouldn't be out in public to begin with

+1

[martinjsxx]

I first saw that around 2003 with the avian flu scare. I think it might have come from Asia, don't know if that's why some Asians wore masks. Maybe they were more aware/concerned about the flu than the rest of the population.

I also see some Asian women holding umbrellas in the summer for protection from the sun. Maybe that's a cultural thing.

[85dumbo]

Japanese wear it when they have a cold and its considered courteous to wear a mask so you don't blow your germs over everyone else. Whether it works or not scientifically is debatable. This is what my Japanese wife tells me. Its not to protect yourself from other people's germs.

My people (Chinese) probably do it for stupid reasons, like they think they won't catch the bird flu or ebola or whatever.

[HarperQuinn]

Originally Posted by martinjsxx

I first saw that around 2003 with the avian flu scare. I think it might have come from Asia, don't know if that's why some Asians wore masks. Maybe they were more aware/concerned about the flu than the rest of the population.

I also see some Asian women holding umbrellas in the summer for protection from the sun. Maybe that's a cultural thing.

In general, I always wondered how people find that odd when on the beach there's umbrellas and on our decks at home, we have umbrellas for shade.

[honeynutcocopuffs]

Originally Posted by martinjsxx

I also see some Asian women holding umbrellas in the summer for protection from the sun. Maybe that's a cultural thing.

My understanding is that they don't want to tan. It goes way back. The thinking is that only poor people, farmers, or peasants are tan -- the wealthy are white/pale. It's similar along the lines where in some societies or cultures, even ours at one point, thought that being chubby was a sign of affluence. Of course now we know better

Another, somewhat more recent, reason of avoiding tans stem from the thought of whiter as better. You can see it in the skin-lightening creams being marketed in many parts of the world: A Look At The Rise Of Skin Whitening Creams

[honeynutcocopuffs]

Originally Posted by HarperQuinn

In general, I always wondered how people find that odd when on the beach there's umbrellas and on our decks at home, we have umbrellas for shade.

And we drive on parkways and park on driveways...