As someone from Hong Kong, we've been used to wearing masks whenever we catch even he slightest of colds. It's practically ingrained in us that we, as part of the society, must put effort into protecting other members of the society. Even before the pandemic, it's not uncommon to see someone walking around with a mask on the streets.
When Covid struck, we put our masks on, no big deal (if you ignore the fact that mask prices soared to 5 times their usual prices). What baffled me was how when the virus started appearing in western countries, people began protesting about how it restricted their rights. To this day I still don't understand how wearing a mask, something we've been doing since 5, is such a big deal to them. Perhaps it was racism, or perhaps it was the lack of education regarding the spread of diseases and use of masks. These are mandatory parts of primary education in Hong Kong, and we have been taught how to wear masks properly as children. (We have mini, baby sized masks and they come in cartoon prints. Talk about fashion.)
About a year ago, some covid restrictions finally losened up and I arrived in London to participate in clinical placements. It was an (unpleasant) surprise when I realized most patients (and many of their carers) are not required to wear any kind of face covering- in fact, nobody under the age of 18 are recommended to put on face covering. It was a stark difference from what I was used to, since toddlers above the age of 2 are mandated to wear at least some form of face covering to protect them from the virus. As therapists, we are provided with PPE and masks and required to test for the virus twice a week. While these procedures are in place, I noticed that many of my colleagues had difficulties keeping their masks over their noses.
I first dismissed it as a problem with how they put the masks on (considering some of them never pinched the metal wire to fit their noses), but eventually by observing my lecturers and native UK classmates repeatedly pushing their masks back over their noses, I noticed something.
When I wear masks, they rest perfectly fine on my face (with help of 2 little knots). However, it does not seem to be the case of my European descent classmates- they simply do not fit properly on their faces.
I'm not sure how this conclusion can be made without sounding racist, but the masks readily available on the market do not seem to fit Caucasian/white/large nose people's noses properly as they do not fit well in the curves formed by the accordion folds.
I am concerned as this poses health risks to the relevant people/races as the masks would not provide as much protection as they were designed to, and if they are service providers, would further pose a risk to their service targets.
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