Washington Post July 14th article that appeared under the heading:

“Brits remain reticent to wear facemasks, despite having the highest Coronavirus death toll in Europe”

On reading this—before I even read the article—I could feel my hackles rising on two counts…

Having just spent 3 weeks in Southeast Asia, enjoying jaw-dropping sights, mouth-watering cuisine, eye-opening historical and cultural lessons, and connecting with intriguing, kind, generous, and delightful people all over Vietnam and Cambodia, I am feeling really torn about the need to be vigilant about public health safety and the incessant focus on the fear of contracting COVID-19 and how that’s creating devastating, rippling effects in global economies, encouraging xenophobia, and making people panic worldwide.