Face masks: do you feel adequately protected?

These policemen who were stationed near the nomination centre of the Permatang Pasir by-elections seemed to be scared of an invisible foe, the influenza A(H1N1) virus. Hence, the face masks. In fact, they were all donning the face masks. Every policeman I came across on the mainland yesterday, while on my way to work, were all covered up.

At the nomination centre, both politicians and supporters alike were also sported with face masks, like these chaps who thought they were killing two birds with one stone. However, they don't realise that their face masks are doing more harm to their health than to protect them from the flu virus. My wife took just one look at this photo in The Star and she asked me immediately why these idiots were breathing in the toxins from the ink. Idiots, from an apolitical point of view. Score one point for female logic.

By the way, I was at a clinic yesterday and I saw a few chaps in the waiting room with masks over their faces. Me, I hadn't a mask. Every time I looked around the room, it made me feel more and more uncomfortable. I was feeling rather inadequately protected until it was my turn to see the doctor. To my surprise, he was unmasked. So I asked him: "Shouldn't you be wearing a mask?" "No," he replied, "there's no need to. The people who should be wearing masks are those who are sick." Mmm...is he correct or only half-correct? If masks are supposed to keep the flu virus in, can't they keep the virus out to?