The coronavirus isn’t going away anytime soon. As we begin to adjust to this new normal, there are some things that are just plain necessary to protect ourselves and others. At this point there is hardly anywhere you can go where you don’t have to wear face masks. Restaurants and stores are now forbidding people from entering unless they are wearing a facial covering. However, a new study suggest that men are more likely to leave their masks at home anyway.
“Shameful, not cool”
The academics surveyed in the US found that men were not only less inclined to wear face masks than women. They also considered that donning a mask was “shameful, not cool and a sign of weakness”. This also explained by the fact that men were less likely to believe they would be seriously affected by the new coronavirus. However, research has shown that men may be more at risk of getting infected. Even in Asian countries where wearing face masks is a long-established and widely observed social norm, the split persists. A study of public attitudes during the 2002-03 Sars outbreak in Hong Kong found that women were much more likely to take precautions that included face masks.
Men getting infected
Of course, constantly worrying and spiraling into a pit of negative thoughts does not help anyone. But, as health officials reiterate at every opportunity, we need to adhere to rules to beat this pandemic once and for all. Gender differences around wearing face masks essentially disappear when we stop talking about personal risk. When it gets framed as an issue of taking care of our communities and families. Then, face masks adoption is equal for men and women. What makes this tendency more interesting is that the trope that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate is utterly false. And the numbers are not in men’s favor in any way. Out of over half a million deaths worldwide due to COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by this virus, more than half are men.
Masks aren’t the most comfortable accessory to wear outside, I’ll admit, especially under the sweltering sun. And yes, men are at a disadvantage with all the facial hair. Face masks do keep people from seeing facial expressions and hearing voices clearly, both vital elements of social connection. But if it came down to being hooked up to a ventilator to be able to breathe or pushing through some mustache sweat and feeling a bit hot, the choice should be clear as day. Especially since so many studies have shown the efficacy of masks in stifling the spread of coronavirus. Both males and females need to be more motivate to wear face masks if the law said they had to.
