Why?? This is normal and natural.
Masks, lockdowns, all of it is just modern day rain dances. We think we can somehow control and contain a highly infectious virus. Ha. Yeah right.
CDC and US has full on PR every day on how bad COVID is and how we should get vaccine and wear masks. People who don't do those are ostracized.
People who don't think covid is a big deal is labeled anti-science and covid-denier.
With all this, of course, every normal reasonable person is scared of covid.
If a person next to me has covid, I sure as hell will run away as soon as possible.
Saving myself is way more important than saving your feeling.
I hope anyone would do the same. Don't worry about hurting my feeling. That is negligible. Save yourself first.