Conversation

New type of mask interaction today, when I had to go to the hospital for a yearly check-up (sadly unavoidable). Nobody wore a mask, not even medical personnel when they had to physically interact with patients. There was still disinfectant gel around, but I was the only one using it.

An unmasked nurse came to pick me up from the waiting room and when she dropped me off at the room, she pointed at my mask and said: "Miss?! Do you have corona?!"

I explained: "No, I'm trying to prevent it."

Her: "So you don't have any symptoms?"

Me: "No, none, just wearing this to protect myself."

Her: "Are you vulnerable?"

Me: "Yes."

Her: "Sorry about that, I just have to check when I see something, you know? With these new guidelines, anyone could be having corona anywhere! And most don't even wear a mask!"

Me: "True, I heard the coughing in the waiting room."

Her: "Yes! And they don't stay at home! They don't even mask! I bet people like you could use people like them like a tooth ache!"

Me: "Indeed, I wish people wore masks."

Her: "Unbelievable, such people!!! Coming here of all places!!! Anyway, I'll get the doctor, be right back."

I was kind of surprised that she felt so strongly about unmasked sick people (I'm used to everyone minimizing the severity or covid or claiming it's gone), but I was also annoyed that she wasn't masked herself either. I don't have energy for those types of conversations anymore though, I'm just trying to get in and out of the building as quickly as possible.

A little while later I was waiting in the treatment room for the doctor to arrive, when I saw the door open a tiny bit. I heard the same nurse explain to someone: "The patient is wearing a mask, but I checked and she doesn't have covid, she's just one of those vulnerables, you know? So don't worry, she's not sick."

Then the doctor came in, unmasked, and no further comment was made about my mask.

If only there was a simple way for all these medical people in the hospital to prevent the spread of covid to themselves and their patients... 🤡

#covid #covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #WearAMask