Comment by nateberkopec | Hacker News Reader

Comment by nateberkopec | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

It's been really interesting to watch this pandemic from Japan, where I've been for the last ~3 months. I am an American citizen.

Walking around Tokyo this week I'm still seeing mask rates of >95%. Lockdown ended about 2 weeks ago.

In America, mask-wearing carries a different set of social signals. It seems that not wearing a mask is perceived, by some, as a signal of one's virility and freedom.

The article makes this all pretty clear, but the comments here are getting bogged down in "but the data says masks are/aren't effective". The point is that the data doesn't matter. Mask-wearing is determined by social/political expectations and signaling, not by data.

If a study came out tomorrow that said mask-wearing reduces transmission by 95%, Trump still wouldn't wear one. Looking for a silver bullet study to prove a point either way is a waste of time at this juncture.

Apparently, asking Americans to show that they care about the health of another American via a very low-impact signal (the $10 it costs to get/make a mask, the minor inconvenience of wearing one) is too much.

How can a society solve any size of a problem when it cannot be bothered to put a piece of paper or cloth on their face for the possible benefit of another? If your political climate makes such a minor gesture controversial, how will you solve any meaningful issue where your factions disagree?

How do you get Americans to care about the health and welfare of other Americans?

> Walking around Tokyo this week I'm still seeing mask rates of >95%. Lockdown ended about 2 weeks ago.

I currently live in Asia and have been for many years, I am from a western country. I think in Asia, face masks are just a fact of life, including pre-covid. There is/was an expectation that if you are sick, then you should probably wear a mask. Given that a lot of cities are crowded, many wear masks also not to get sick.

As a westerner, I understand the negative connotations of wearing a mask, it is not a part of "normal life" in many countries. But life has changed, people should get used to it. Americans should just look at the stats to know that there is a problem. This isn't an attack on their freedoms, it is an attempt not to save their life, but the life of a fellow American, by preventing the spread.

While China may have been the epicenter of the virus, the spread is the responsibility of the citizens of the secondary country.

>How do you get Americans to care about the health and welfare of other Americans?

First, you have to get them to care about their own health. 42% of Americans are obese and heart disease kills ~650,000 Americans every year even though it is largely preventable.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

since "looking for a silver bullet study to prove a point" is the only thing fivethirtyeight has left, it should probably just stop now

> How can a society solve any size of a problem when it cannot be bothered to put a piece of paper or cloth on their face for the possible benefit of another?

A friend's mother will tell anyone she encounters who is wearing one that they are a ninny and a coward. So for some people it is also an indicator of courage/weakness.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com