Wearing masks will become more widely seen
Before the pandemic, wearing masks was an oddity in most Western countries. Even after a vaccine is developed, wearing a mask will remain more common.
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The Argument
After months of restrictions, life has effectively changed for all of us. Wearing masks, and indeed, seeing people wear them has become the norm.
This kind of behavior was common in many Asian countries even before COVID-19. These behaviors have been traced back to previous epidemics in these nations. In the early 2000s, the SARS and MERS pandemics in Asia raised awareness and highlighted the importance of a quick response and contagion prevention[1]. These have been seen as some of the factors behind their lower death toll compared to Western nations.
Having dealt with other coronavirus in the last decades, Asian nations have much to teach their Western counterparts. Maybe wearing masks to prevent the spread of diseases and protect the people around us will be one of the things we learn from this pandemic.
Counter arguments
Western countries saw an epidemic in the 1920s. During that time, there was a pushback against mask wearing, not dissimilar to what we are seeing this year. In Western countries, the last epidemic did not encourage mask wearing to become commonplace. It is unlikely that this one will.[2]