Famed for its counterfeit couture, Hong Kong is not backward about being forward when it comes to fashion, and the spread of the lethal atypical pneumonia has been no exception. With the vast majority of the local population now donning face masks to protect themselves from the virus, the temptation to stand out from the crowd has proved too much for some.
Earlier this week a tai-tai — Hong Kong’s notoriously fashion-conscious trophy wives — was seen sashaying out of the Landmark hotel with a ”Nike” mask. She is not alone, eyewitnesses have seen ”Armani” and ”Versace” masks in addition to child-friendly masks bearing such icons as Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty.
There is, of course, no evidence that these have come from legitimate sources. But this should come as no surprise in the former colony, where enterprising young men bearing goods appear on street corners at the drop of a Tommy Hilfiger hat.
Bearing tattoos and dyed hair — the marque of the Triad criminal gangs — these men have been spotted across Hong Kong, squaring the cycle between scant supply and demand for masks. Even Westerners have started wearing the masks after previously looking down at the locals with a mixture of pity, scorn, envy and fear.
During lunch breaks, crowds of smartly dressed Cantonese workers let their masks slip for a bowl of noodles and soup in cheek-by-jowl street-side cafes. Given that the virus in question is believed to be transmitted through minute droplets — via sneezing or spitting — the value of the masks would seem open to question.
Nevertheless the fear of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) is real and justified. With whole estates being removed to quarantine camps and some hospitals crippled by the toll on health workers, there is a rising sense of panic in the territory.
This will only be compounded by a rising death toll, which stood at 75 on Tuesday April 1 and with more than 1 800 people infected. In Hong Kong there have been 685 cases and 16 deaths.
For the scientists at the forefront of the battle to diagnose the disease and devise a treatment programme, masks should surely be a necessity. But earlier this week at the Queen Mary hospital, some of the team felt confident enough to dispense with masks once away from the restricted laboratories.
In their defence, they had the perfect excuse — it is not easy to get yourself heard when wearing a face mask. — Â