I have seen many many people wearing surgical masks in public.

Has anyone else noticed this?

"YES"......... Sydney Australia.
A big surge of them about 48 hours ago.
I am not ill so it has me ..... "puzzled"
No health warnings on T.V.

Typically, the only time I've ever seen people wearing masks, before this Ebola got out of control, are cancer patients.


I am in the Midwest, haven't seen anyone out here yet wearing them, unless I am at work building wind blades!

I got everything I need

A few idiots did this Ebola prank video a few weeks ago and if they did it again it would really cause a problem.

I'm also in the midwest and Des moines is wear I seen them.

OP, I am not far from you and now I am very surprised!!

They just want scare you maybe...

Surgical mask provide ABSOLUTELY ZERO protection from Ebola. None.

Very true and it appears that the respirator suits are not one hundred percent.

Slighly OT - how many of these heath care workers do you think got infected?

[link to imgur.com]

could it be for fukushima? or is there a nuke plant near there?

I told my son he needed to get one of those N whatever (can't remember now) masks to wear if there is a case of Ebola where he goes to college. He laughed and said the only kids who wore masks at school were Chinese. He said the slightest sign of coughing on campus - they all popped them on. He said they don't care what anybody thinks about it - they don't want to get sick. I'm not saying they are effective for anything but those Chinese kids sure think they are. He goes to a very large state college.

We lived for over a year in Japan (40 yrs ago) and even then, when people got a cold, or even feared they might get a cold or be exposed to the flu, out came the surgical masks. Partly it was to protect themselves (however slightly from the germs going around) and partly to show others that they might be contagious, and act accordingly.

I haven't seen any in our area yet (Puget Sound) but I'd expect to see some if this thing escalates.