The etiquette of life without a mask (required)

For the past week, wearing a mask has no longer been compulsory in Quebec. This new reality can lead to questions… and its share of funny or downright uncomfortable situations. Etiquette expert Charles MacPherson and epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf offer some tips for interacting well with others.

Catherine Handfield
The Press

Determine your level of comfort

The first thing to do is to determine, personally, what his comfort level is, said Charles MacPherson, founding president of the Charles MacPherson Academy, a training school for butlers in Toronto. Are you comfortable running errands without a mask? To shake hands? To kiss your loved ones? “If you don’t really know where you stand, it can become embarrassing, because you will never know what to do,” he sums up. As the population has acquired some immunity and the virus is making people less sick than before, Public Health has ruled that it is less appropriate to impose the wearing of masks on everyone, “but that does not mean say that it is forbidden to wear it, ”recalls epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf, lecturer at the University of Montreal.

Keep in mind that positions vary

Even if the mask is no longer mandatory, social conventions are not the same as in 2019 (not yet, at least). “Don’t take it for granted that you can touch people, that you can kiss them. Instead, ask their permission,” advises Charles MacPherson, who reminds us that etiquette is not a set of rules, but a way to make others feel comfortable. Nimâ Machouf is of the same opinion. “It may be less spontaneous, but it makes people feel comfortable”, argues the epidemiologist, who invites to show tolerance towards the position of others and not to rush them.

Explain (politely) your choice

If a person doesn’t feel comfortable, for example, shaking an outstretched hand, don’t panic: just politely explain their choice. Charles MacPherson would say something like this: “Forgive me if I don’t shake your hand. I really don’t want to disrespect you, but this is beyond my comfort level. “When it’s explained to them that it’s a personal choice, and not a criticism of their choice, people tend to be very comfortable with that,” he says.

Keep a mask on…

We saw it this week: many Quebecers (even a vast majority) are comfortable going shopping with their faces exposed. And many have no doubt been happy to store the box of masks at the back of the closet. However, it may be more prudent to keep one on hand, say our two experts. If you find yourself in a room where everyone is masked, or if you stand in line between two masked elderly people, at the grocery store, you might feel more comfortable wearing it too, if only just to put other people at ease,” says MacPherson. If you visit vulnerable people, it is better to put on your mask, believes Nimâ Machouf. “It’s a gesture that is not very demanding,” she said. If people are more worried, out of respect for them, it would be nice to wear it, without it being an obligation. »

… and keep your cool

According to Charles MacPherson, we should be careful not to ask people about their choice to wear a mask or not to wear one. And if you get attacked, the important thing is to keep your cool. “If, for example, someone comes to you and says they think you’re rude for not wearing a mask, remember that’s the fear of disease talking,” he says. Counter-attacking in return will be useless. Mr. MacPherson advises explaining to the person who is afraid that based on the information you have, you personally feel comfortable not wearing it, that the obligation has been waived, but that you Will put it on with pleasure if it makes her more comfortable.

Keep your new reflexes

There was a time when we sent son to grandma even if his nose was running and where we showed up to work despite a bad flu. According to Nimâ Machouf, this era is over. People are more aware today that they can transmit infections to others. “When you’re sick, regardless of the illness, you know not to shake hands and give kisses,” says Nimâ Machouf, who expects people to keep the reflex of wearing a mask when they go. carry a virus.