How do I wear my mask?
By: Dravida Seetharam
Tags: Masks, Covid 19

The number of COVID cases are increasing by the day in Bangalore. Fear and angst are permeating my mind. As long as I do not get it, I am fine. I am not sure how far I am from the state of getting infected. It is anyone’s guess.

The signs of vaccine availability are not yet visible. From around the world, there are two clear messages: wear a mask and observe social distancing. It seems these are the only two saviours at present to keep the Virus away. These tools are simple to follow and execute. The masks are becoming available in different flavours and designs.

Seven out of ten cases, we do not want to follow these simple rules. Some masks are on the nose, some on the mouth and some hanging around the neck. Also, I see many on the streets without masks. In Bangalore, there is a fine of Rs 200 if you are found not wearing a mask. It is better to speak less about social distancing. We are very far.

My manager and I had perspectives early in my career on our ability to follow any rules. We decided to conduct simple experiments with two typical daily activities: wearing a shirt and reading a newspaper. I spent one day on each of the experiments. I identified ten individuals at different levels starting from workers in my office to the Vice President and asked them the detailed step by step process of how he wears the shirt in the morning. I listened and recorded the efforts of each of the individuals in detail and tried to summarise my findings. To my utter dismay, I found there were ten different variants. While I am unable to share the complete report, I shall tell you the highlights. One individual unfastened all the buttons and put on the right sleeve first. The other did the exact opposite. One undid only two buttons on the front and slid the shirt through the head and the neck. He buttoned the sleeves on the hands before he buttoned the front buttons. I learnt an interesting lesson that every one of us has a different method in mind for wearing a shirt, and we have the right justification for why we are doing in that specific way.

I conducted the second experiment slightly differently. I identified ten individuals from my neighbourhood, and this time the sample included women, young girls and boys. Instead of asking questions to the participants, I had the privilege of observing them while they were reading the morning newspaper. I had startling pieces of evidence this time again. There was a lot of variation with one individual starting reading from the front page and another from the back page. Yet another started reading from the centre beginning with Op-ed page. The population showed a large standard deviation. A Standard Deviation is a number used to tell how measurements for a group are away from the average. The process of folding the newspaper after reading also varied from person to person. In one case, a small child was playing on one page soon after the parent completed reading. In another case, a mother tore one sheet and used for folding the diaper to throw in the dust bin. I am sure in a Japanese or a German home this would not happen. Typically an individual will read the newspaper sitting a table or a desk and replace in the original place after the reading.

As the factory manager, I found it extremely difficult to make the workers and the supervisors in my unit follow any documented process. This non-conformance has always resulted in a shoddy output. My visit to a Japanese assembly line for the same product provided me with some startling insights. I have seen one worker at a particular workstation would read the process steps before he starts assembling, though he has been at the same work station for thirty years. My colleagues in India always questioned me why they should read the process steps or follow the rules every day as the entire process is permanent in their head.

I saw a lot of discipline on the streets of Tokyo, even the simple processes of walking on the pavement or talking on a mobile phone.

As a nation, we have a huge challenge ahead of us. The Virus is spreading tentacles all over the place. As the schools and the public places open up, the Virus is going to spread exponentially. The concept of ‘self-regulation’ does not work in our country. Someone needs to prod me either a parent at home or police outside. The nudging theory and constant messaging on the media will not help me.

The virus threat is real and waiting at my doorstep. A dreadful experience can only teach me a lesson.