Determined Mall Shoppers Wear Face Masks

What’s a little Swine flu in the face of a shopping spree?

In the Philippines, apparently, its of no matter. In Manila, it has been reported that since the World Health Organization announced the swine flu pandemic, shoppers are coping by wearing face masks, taking megadoses of Vitamin C and using hand sanitizers. And they are still shopping.

Face masks used to draw attention in the region, but not anymore. Some, in fact, wear their face masks everywhere they go in public, especially on the Metro Rail Transit. Guards at the Megamall have said that on any given day, since the news of A(HINI) virus scare broke out, people can be seen wearing face masks. And while these people may be in the minority, that may be about to change.

At Watson’s pharmacy in Megamall, one of the cashiers said more people were buying face masks but not in significant numbers. The same was true for vitamins and other flu medicines, she said. Some believe that the risk of getting infected is higher in crowded public places like malls, but the evidence supporting this theory is lacking.