Last Sunday, we took a flight back to New York from the happy island of Aruba (that’s the subject of another blog).

I had given some thought to the usual concerns associated with flying and getting sick. Flo had a very adequate supply of antibacterial wipes - which were put to good use.

I thought I had it under control yet was surprised by my reaction to the face masks on the plane. But it was more than I had expected to see and quite unsettling.

I had read several opinions of the efficacy of masks in light of the current coronavirus epidemic and I couldn’t fault them for wearing the masks. Yet, the disturbing feeling of fellow passengers in masks persisted. Perhaps I was troubled by their over- abundance of caution — especially given where we were flying from. Or was I reacting to the panic I perceived reflected in the masked faces?

Masks in the plane — a precursor of things to come?