Simple mask, Not just a mask
Sarosh Ashraf Janjua, a cardiologist at a new Coronavirus isolation facility in Duluth, Minnesota, wrote on Facebook that State Police Brian Schwartz stopped her on I-35 on March 21 due to speeding.
Janjua handed over her driver’s license and was expecting a speeding ticket.
“He returned to the patrol car to check my driver’s license. When he returned, he told me very firmly that I was extremely irresponsible for speeding, especially because in the event of an accident I would not only consume resources but would also be unable to help the patient.” Janjua said in the post.
She wrote that the policeman did not give her a fine, but instead just a warning.
“When I sighed and apologized and said thank you, he reached out and returned me what I thought was my driver’s license. Until my hand held what he gave me, the unexpected volume caught my eye.” She added, “That’s five N95 masks, from the protection equipment provided to him by the state.”
This move made Janjua cry, but also gave her hope for the end of the pandemic. She said that the state policeman also seemed to have shed a tear, blessed her in the cold wind, and then walked away.
“This completely stranger, he didn’t owe me at all, and he was on the frontline more than me. He shared his precious masks with me without even asking for it.” She wrote, “We will be fine.”
The Minnesota patrol told CNN that after discovering that there were two re-used N95 masks in Janjua’s wallet, Schwartz felt he had to provide a new N95 mask to her. Whether the traffic police are the front line, or the doctor is the front line, the only thing on my mind at this time is love and giving.
Yep, you win, COVID-19. You’ve brought out the worst in us. But we will not give you reason to think you’ve ravaged our society. And with every life you take, we intensify our efforts to reverse your evil doings.
It only takes five masks, a greeting, and a distance of six feet. Even in this special period, as long as you take a step, the connection and care between people can be so simple. The virus has taken some people’s lives, disturbed our daily lives, changed our judgment on things. Only the love and giving between people is beyond the virus, and human tenderness will heal the wounds of the pain caused by this pandemic.
The masks we ordered from China will arrive next week and they are on their way to Scripps Hospital for the dedicated medical staff.
In the reality of more than 200,000 people being infected, President Trump suggested on April 1 that Americans use scarves instead of masks, mainly to ensure that medical staff have adequate supplies.
Either way, the government has realized the importance of masks.
Americans don’t like wearing masks. There are cultural reasons for this, a seemingly symbol of having the virus yourself instead of the actual reason, that people wear it to protect themselves.
Masks are now needed, and the government is concerned that people will place too much hope on them, which will lead to the relaxation of the “six-foot social distance” rule.
The reason why masks are now emphasized is because the government medical institution, CDC, said that many infected people have no symptoms, but they are contagious. This time, the virus is not transmitted through the air, but carried by tiny saliva droplets. When a person speaks, the mask intercepts the tiny droplets of saliva, greatly reducing the spread of the virus.
Even a small, simple token such as a mask helped us reexamine life. Sometimes, it is a shield to block the virus infection; sometimes it is a strong guard to protect medical staff; today, countless citizens donate masks for medical staff free of charge day and night, it is the warm hand of our humanity; it is the close communication of our humanity; it is a hospitality of our society.
