Author: theauthor2022

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Mask up

When mask mandates began in Spring 2020 everyone was encouraged to “mask up” and save lives. Wearing a mask reduced the transmission of Covid-19. Until recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation “[required] the wearing of face masks on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation.” There was even a toolkit on their website that contained “Multi-media assets, social media graphics and messages, and email content to help communicate to the traveling public online” the importance of wearing a mask.

The phrase “mask up” soon found its way into the dictionary. The Macmillan Dictionary’s definition is:
“to wear a mask or facecovering.
– That’s why we are asking all Hoosiers to mask up – and speak up about how wearing your mask can save lives.”

The Urban Dictionary’s definition of “mask up” is:
“A phrase used to tell people to put on their mask:
‘Hey Alex, mask up, man!’
‘Woah there tiger, mask up!
‘Mask up, kids, it’s time to go outside!'”

In an article last updated on February 9, 2021, the CDC encourages Americans to “Continue to ‘Mask Up’ to Help Stop the Spread of the Coronavirus. Austin Powers, Casablanca, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and others are reimagined with characters wearing face masks.”

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #maskup: 657,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #maskup: 1,488,539 posts
TikTok #maskup: 780.5 million views
YouTube #maskup: 6,200 videos and 2,700 channels

Google Trends: mask up appeared during the week of March 22, 2020 and peaked during the week of July 12, 2020. By this time the pandemic was in full swing and federal, state and local governments had declared masked mandates and were encouraging everyone to “mask up.”

mask up search term

Sources:

buckshotboi. “Mask up.” The Urban Dictionary. August 25, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mask%20Up.

stockmatic. “Man wear face mask vector. Vector Wear Face Mask sign. Warning sign recommend wear of protective face mask in prevention vs virus infection in health care. Coronavirus protection mask.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1732942073.

“Mask up.” Macmillian Dictionary. 15 July 2020. URL: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/mask-up.

“Mask up.” The U.S. Department of Transportation. URL: https://www.transportation.gov/maskup.

“Mask Up America.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 9, 2021. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/mask-up-america.html.

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Face mask

The hospital mask, long the domain of surgeons and operating theaters, was synonymous with personal safety and became a symbol of virtue and of the times we live in.

Shortly after the pandemic arrived in the United States, the CDC recommended wearing masks to lessen the transmission of coronavirus on April 3, 2020. This was in addition to social distancing and personal hygiene recommendations. Over the course of the next two years, masks were mandated on airplanes, public transport, in schools, hospitals and for a time, retail stores. Only in recent months have mask mandates been lifted and, according to Wikipedia, “by April 2022, nearly all state-level mask mandates had been lifted, although the mask mandate for public transport was to remain in place until May 3.”

The N95 respirator mask is highly recommended by doctors and hospitals because it filters 95% of airborne particles. The CDC states that “if worn properly, a surgical mask is meant to help block large-particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatter that may contain germs (viruses and bacteria), keeping it from reaching your mouth and nose. Surgical masks may also help reduce exposure of your saliva and respiratory secretions to others” (FDA).

As the pandemic continued for months on end, masks became the new normal and it was inevitable they’d find their way into the world of fashion. British designer Patrick McDowell Gosh describes the plain mask as “so boring – just a white sheet mask, because now I wear a blue silk one which I made, then I have a pink one…Like anything in fashion, if you like what you’re wearing, you feel better don’t you?” Hermione de Paula, owner of a bridal business, said “As face masks have evolved into our new normal, we received an overwhelming amount of messages requesting if we could create them for our followers – and not just brides” (Bumpus).

There were occasional supply shortages of masks so people turned to the internet to find tutorials on how to make them using simple household materials. In doing so, many discovered the lost art of sewing with needle and thread. Here is one YouTube video that gives a tutorial on how to make a mask:

Some people choose to double mask where they choose to wear two masks for extra protection due to the increased. Another advantage of double-masking is that the outer mask “can apply gentle pressure to the edges of the inner mask. When this happens, the inner mask fits more closely against your skin and creates a better seal” (Seladi-Schulman).

Like our wallet, phone and keys, one never left home without a mask. I lost track of the number of times I went to the store only to realize I left my mask and had to go back to the house to retrieve it.

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #facemask: 867,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #facemask: 7,934,182 posts
TikTok #facemask: 6.9 billion views
YouTube #facemask: 71,000 videos and 33,000 channels

Google Trends: the popularity for mask reached its peak during the week of April 5, 2020 which coincided with the time the CDC recommended the wearing of face masks. One reason for its popularity is that not everyone could get hold of a mask due to supply shortages so it was important to learn how to make one. Though not as effective as N95 surgical masks, they were required to enter places of business and while traveling on public transport.

mask search term

Sources:

Bumpus, Jessica. “How face masks became the symbol of 2020.” HarpersBizarre.com. August 24, 2020. URL: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/a33742806/how-face-masks-became-the-symbol-of-2020/.

“Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.” Wikipedia. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_masks_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_States.

Image Devices Stock. “Doctor mask and corona virus protection isolated on a white background. Medical protective mask on white background, Prevent Coronavirus, protection factor for virus . 3d render.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1837231141.

“N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, Face Masks, and Barrier Face Coverings.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. September 15, 2021. URL: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-surgical-masks-face-masks-and-barrier-face-coverings.

Nanay Exspress. “5 Minutes! FAST and EASY Way to Make Face Mask”. YouTube. Jan 2, 2021. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W05R_aU9J1g.

Seladi-Schulman, Jill. “Should You Be Double Masking?” Healthline.com. March 4, 2021. URL: https://www.healthline.com/health/double-masking.

Categories
Pandemic Pandemic Art Virus

Lockdown

Who of us is not familiar with the term “lockdown,” that isolating experience shared across the globe by billions of people? The term came into common usage early in 2020 as governments around the world instituted tough measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Shutterstock: Fiza Studio

Lockdown became the “2020 Word of the Year” according to Collins Dictionary. An article for BBC News states that “lexicographers registered more than 250,000 usages of “lockdown” during 2020, up from just 4,000 last year.”

In a November 11, 2020 blog post, the Collins Dictionary says: “So what about the word of the year itself? “Lockdown”, with its heavy, clunking syllables and heavier associations, is the condition we’ve most dreaded in 2020 – a state of national stasis, where almost everything that constitutes normal public life is suspended. Under lockdown, our waking hours get a lot smaller. We return to a simpler state – which some have, in fact appreciated – but it’s a far more restricted one. We see few people, and fewer places. We’re quite literally housebound. It’s not a shock to remember, then, that lockdown was originally a piece of prison vocabulary: it’s when inmates are confined to their cells because of some disturbance on the wing. 2020 is year that the meaning of the word shifted irrevocably: in most people’s minds, lockdown is now a public health measure – its use having increased exponentially since 2019.“

So, what did people do during lockdown? Some teenagers got together and created an event series called Lockdown “that follows a group of bored quarantined teens working together online to solve a mystery involving one of their neighbors – a mystery which ultimately places them all in danger.“


The author of this blog built a gym in his basement and made a vegetable plot in his garden. Others got creative and started blogging about their experiences during lockdown. A September 20, 2020 article for the New York Times reports on one 86 year old woman who started a blog: “Not long after the coronavirus sent her country into lockdown and brought an abrupt end to life as she’d known it, Hazell Jacobs, 86, awoke in her south London home ready to start something new. She opened a closet and began pulling out a collection of scarves – hundreds of them, gathered over decades of travels around the world. There were countless memories stitched into their hems, each silky expanse a story waiting to be told. Ms. Jacobs sat down, and began to write what soon became Scarf Aid, a blog Ms. Jacobs has faithfully maintained…soon the emails and comments began to come in from fans around the world…Some of her closest friends were struggling under the weight of isolation. ‘I’m used to supporting others,’ she said. ‘So I thought, that’ll be my role, to cheer people up,’ noting that a lot her friends have felt very down” (Purtill).

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #lockdown: 4,700,000 million people are posting about this
Instagram #lockdown: 21,126,508 posts
TikTok #lockdown: 44.3 billion views
YouTube #lockdown: 1,100,000 videos and 311,000 channels

Google Trends: Lockdown is not a new word but its meaning changed during the pandemic. It registered as a small blip during the week of March 1, 2020 and within two weeks it reached its peak before tailing off that summer as much of the world was under lockdown and knew what the new definition of the word meant. Even though it was voted “2020 Word of the Year”, it’s certainly not a cause for celebration as it affected everyone, in different ways, from how we worked, attended school and socialized.

lockdown search term

Sources:

“Covid-19: ‘Lockdown’ declared Collins Dictionary word of the year.” BBC News. 10 November 2020. URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54878910.

Fisa Studio. “coronavirus lockdown symbol. Coronavirus pandemic puts countries on lockdown. Stop Covid-19. Isolated Vector Icon.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1675752562.

“Lockdown.” YouTube Originals For Kids and Family. YouTube. November 19, 2020. URL: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUxtB8Ph9xFROkedqxUc9g_CxrxmRFzuB.

Purtill, Corinne. “In Lockdown, an 86-Year-Old Blogger Finds an Audience and a New Purpose.” The New York Times. September 27, 2020. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/27/us/lockdown-blogger-finds-an-audience-covid-quarantine-scarf-aid.html.

“Word of the Year 2020 Blog.” Collins Dictionary.com. 10 November 2020. URL: https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/the-year-of-lockdown/.

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Covid wave

A Covid wave conjures up patterns of peaks and troughs where a new variant creates a surge of infections for a length of time followed by a decline in new cases. Different countries have their own Covid waves with spikes in new cases followed by an eventual leveling off of infections.

Professor Lisa Maragakis, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, explains why this happens: “Several factors have had an impact on whether new COVID-19 cases are increasing or declining in particular locations. These factors include the effectiveness of vaccines over time, human behavior, infection prevention policies, changes to the coronavirus itself, and the number of people who are vulnerable because they have not developed some immunity, whether from natural infection or through vaccination. For instance, a large spike in U.S. COVID-19 cases occurred over the winter months of 2020–21 when people traveled and gathered for the winter holidays. The arrival of FDA-authorized vaccines in December 2020 helped bring new infection levels back down in many areas through the spring of 2021. Another surge began in July 2021 as the contagious delta variant began to circulate and eventually become dominant. Waning immunity and relaxation of public policies and infection prevention measures also played a role.“

Is another Covid wave coming? Since restrictions were lifted across the United States and people didn’t have to wear masks anymore, the number of Covid 19 cases has increased. A recent article published on April 16, 2022 for Fortune.com said “The U.S. is in a stealth wave of stealth Omicron…It can’t be known for certain because the country doesn’t have the data it should have. That’s not for lack of technology or supply, but for lack of willpower. Americans largely don’t want to get tested for COVID right now. But it sure seems like another COVID wave, and Americans want to ignore it” (Prater).

Shutterstock: Chidori_B

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #covidwave: 1,300 people are posting about this
Instagram #covidwave: 2,792 posts
TikTok #covidwave: 715,000 views
YouTube #covidwave: 282 videos and 177 channels

Google Trends: covid wave first appeared during the week of March 22, 2020 though to be honest America was only just in the grip of the first wave. The level of interest of this search term dipped a bit before spiking again in the spring and summer of 2021 as different variants made their way over here, such as Delta and Omicron. The week of March 13, 2022 saw the “covid wave” search term reach peak popularity as the BA.2 variant became the dominant strain in the United States.

covid wave search term

Sources:

Chidori_B. “covid 19 second wave concept, healthcare concept.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1776123344.

Maragakis, Lisa. “Coronavirus Second Wave, Third Wave and Beyond: What Causes a COVID Surge.” John Hopkins School of Medicine. Hopkins Medicine.org. October 21, 2021. URL: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/first-and-second-waves-of-coronavirus.

Prater, Erin. “The COVID wave America doesn’t care about: ‘Everybody is sick of COVID’.” Fortune.com. April 16, 2022. URL: https://fortune.com/2022/04/16/next-covid-wave-probably-here-america-ignoring-everybody-sick-of-covid-delta-omicron-pi-coronavirus-fauci-johns-hopkins-ba1-ba2-variant-voc-voi-wild-type/.

Categories
Pandemic

Doomscrolling and doomsurfing

Bad news is prolific these days, whether you read about it in newspapers or watch it on TV. When using mobile devices, the user has instant access to everything. They can scroll through depressing news feeds or search for the latest pandemic news. Doing this excessively creates a state of fear and anxiety in readers especially when the subject matter is Covid-19 or the Ukraine war, hence, the reason that the terms “doomscrolling” and “doomsurfing” came into existence.

Merriam-Webster’s has an entry for both terms under their “Word’s we’re watching” section. Under the opening title “Can you think of a better way to spend your time?” the online dictionary summarizes the two terms: “Doomscrolling and doomsurfing are new terms referring to the tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing. Many people are finding themselves reading continuously bad news about COVID-19 without the ability to stop or step back.”

Doomscrolling (Shutterstock: Holly Harry)

In the April 11, 2020 issue of The Los Angeles Times, columnist Mark Barabak defines “‘doomscrolling’ as slang for an excessive amount of screen time devoted to the absorption of dystopian news.” The origins of “doom scrolling” go back to pre-pandemic times when “Quartz reporter Karen Ho has been posting regular reminders on Twitter — often, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. — to stop doomscrolling and go to bed” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

The earliest reference to “doomsurfing” I found appears in an article written for the New York Times on March 20, 2020 entitled “The Week in Tech: How to Stop Coronavirus ‘Doomsurfing’.” Columnist Kevin Roose writes: “I should not have read the Imperial College coronavirus report before bed. The now-famous report by a team of British epidemiologists, which was posted online this week, laid out the worst-case scenario for the coronavirus, predicting that as many as 2.2 million Americans could die if the disease was left to spread unchecked…I’ve been doing a lot of this kind of doomsurfing recently – falling into deep, morbid rabbit holes filled with coronavirus content, agitating myself to the point of physical discomfort, erasing any hope of a good night’s sleep. Maybe you have, too. There’s nothing wrong with staying informed. But we need to practice self-care, and balance our consumption of grim news with gentler kinds of stimulation, for our own health and the sanity of those around us.“

If you’re constantly finding yourself scrolling through bad news, do yourself a favor: turn off the phone or television, put your sneakers on and go out for a walk – and don’t forget your mask.

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #doomscrolling: 4,200 people are posting about this
Instagram #doomscrolling: 7,408 posts
TikTok #doomscrolling: 2.5 million views
YouTube #doomscrolling: 167 videos and 108 channels

Facebook #doomsurfing: people are posting about this
Instagram #doomsurfing: 400 posts
TikTok #doomsurfing: 760 views
YouTube #doomsurfing: less than 100 videos and channels

Google Trends: I mentioned earlier in this post that Karen Ho began using the term Doomscrolling on Twitter as early as 2018, however it did not get picked up by Google Trends until the week of April 12, 2020 where it registered as a tiny blip. The term peaked during the week of November 1, 2020 and again on January 10, 2021 and then its popularity went down and leveled off.

doomscrolling search term

Google Trends: doomsurfing appeared during the week of March 15, 2020 when the pandemic arrived in America. It reached its peak during the week of September 6, 2020 before leveling off and falling back down to zero.

doomsurfing search term

Sources:

Barabak, Mark. “‘Quarantini.’ ‘Doomscrolling.’ Here’s how the coronavirus is changing the way we talk.” The Los Angeles Times. April 11, 2020. URL: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-04-11/coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-changes-how-we-talk.

Holly Harry. “Doomscrolling on mobile phone on table with glass of wine and tissue, continuing to search or scroll through bad news and events on social media, even though it is depressing.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 2133172859.”

“On ‘Doomsurfing’ and ‘Doomscrolling.’ Can you think of a better way to spend your time?” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching.

Roose, Kevin. “The Week in Tech: How to Stop Coronavirus ‘Doomsurfing’.” The New York Times. March 20, 2020. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/technology/coronavirus-doomsurfing.html.

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Mask mandate

On April 23, 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that face masks be worn to prevent the spread of Covid-19. As the pandemic continued, many state and local governments issued mask mandates which required people to wear masks on airplanes, public transports and in government buildings and schools. While each state had its own mask mandate, most required masks to be worn in public spaces such as shops, health centers and schools. Although mask mandates have been lifted in most of the United States, the Federal mandate requires the wearing of masks on airplanes and public transit.

On April 13, 2022 the Biden administration extended the mask mandate for another 15 days. The news website NBC reports: “The Biden administration is extending a mask mandate for airplanes and transit for 15 days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The mandate was set to expire after April 18, following a one-month extension announced in March. Airlines have required masks on planes since early in the Covid pandemic in 2020, but the Biden administration made them mandatory in early 2021” (Josephs).

After a lull in Covid cases across the nation, the new BA.2 variant started spreading quickly in March 2022. This resulted in the city of Philadelphia reintroducing a mask mandate that was only recently lifted. NPR reports: “Starting April 18, Philadelphia will require people to again wear masks in public places after health officials reported a rise in COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 cases have increased more than 50% in the previous 10 days, officials with Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health announced Monday. On April 11, the department said the city was averaging 142 new cases per day. ‘Our city remains open; we can still go about our daily lives and visit the people and places we love while masking in indoor public spaces,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. “I’m optimistic that this step will help us control the case rate‘” (Diaz).


Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #maskmandate: 18,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #maskmandate: 36,899 posts
TikTok #maskmandate: 256.3 million views
YouTube #maskmandate: 1,500 videos and 696 channels

Google Trends: mask mandate appeared in April 2020 and peaked in early 2021. The popularity of the term has waxed and waned as states and local municipalities lift mask mandates and reintroduce them depending on the transmission and severity of new Covid variants.

mask mandate search term

Sources

Diaz, Jacklyn. “Philadelphia to reinstate its mask mandate after a rise in COVID cases.” NPR.org. April 11, 2022. URL: https://www.npr.org/2022/04/11/1092174190/philadelphia-mask-mandate-covid.

Josephs, Leslie. “Biden administration extends transportation mask mandate for 15 more days.” CNBC.com. April 13, 2022. URL: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/13/us-extends-mask-mandate-for-airplanes-and-transit-by-15-days.html.

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Masktard

Yes, “masktard” really is a word. It began to appear online in March 2020 during the outbreak of the pandemic when people were ordered to wear masks to stop the spread of Covid-19. I’ve overheard the word in conversation.

Depending on one’s point of view, the term can have different meanings. It doesn’t appear in Google Trends or as an official entry in the dictionary, however, it does appear as an entry in the Urban Dictionary: “A person who doesn’t question authority and mindlessly complies to mandates (not laws) given by left authoritarian government, to the detriment of personal autonomy, freedom, jobs, livelihoods. Their own mantra of “my body, my choice” goes out the window, because their fear and devotion to compliance overrides your rights as a free citizen to choose for yourself. They insist you must do as they do or you’re a selfish grandma-killer, which betrays their faith in the mask’s effectiveness in the first place.

I was just going about my business and this masktard got in my face and lectured me about not wearing a mask” (asenath7766).

Dictionary.com has “masktard” listed as a suggested word: “Depending on your point of view, a person who is militant about wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, or a person who is reluctant to wear one” (plainname).

An article published for Westward.com informs readers that mean girls are most likely to use Covid-19 insults: “Welcome to 2020, when mean girls, and mean people in general who think they’re indestructible, feel free to insult those who insist on following public-health officials’ advice regarding an infection that’s killed more than 170,000 Americans to date. And indeed, the novel coronavirus has produced an explosion of new vocabulary specifically designed for this purpose…[concerning] ‘Masktard,’ when I first came across this slur, I couldn’t imagine a teen girl actually using it. A nanosecond later, I totally could” (Roberts). It remains to be seen whether the author’s personal experience is widespread among teenagers.

Masktard was the subject of a comedy video created by the J-Man Or Riot! channel on October 24, 2021. The video is called “Covidiots: The Everyday Adventures Of Maskhole & Masktard-Ep.1 Shaving.”

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #masktard: people are posting about this
Instagram #masktard: 41 posts
TikTok #masktard: 1777 views
YouTube #masktard: less than 100 videos and channels


Sources:

asenath7766. “Masktard.” Urban Dictionary. September 22, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=masktard.

plainname. “Masktard.” Collins Dictionary. March 9, 2020. URL: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/submission/22773/masktard.

Roberts, Michael. “COVID-19 Insults Most Likely to Be Used by Mean Girls.” Westword. Denver Westword, LLC. August 19, 2020. URL: https://www.west
word.com/news/covid-19-insults-most-likely-to-be-used-by-teen-mean-girls-11772993.

The J-Man Or Riot! “Covidiots:The Everyday Adventures Of Maskhole & Masktard-Ep.1 Shaving.” YouTube. October 24, 2021. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mNL5hiktbI.

Categories
Pandemic

Maskne

Wearing a mask offers protection against Covid-19 but it doesn’t protect you from a facial condition called “maskne.” Wikipedia explains the origin of the term: “Maskne (pronounced mask-nee and sometimes spelled mask-ne or mascne) is a portmanteau of “mask” and “acne.” The term appeared in use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to refer to acne and other rashes of the face that occur in association with mask wearing.”

Some aren’t particular about wearing the same mask more than once. It’s a bad habit to get into considering the amount of debris and bacteria a mask can accumulate. Conditions such as friction and hot weather make the likelihood of getting maskne worse.

According to Dictionary.com, maskne first appeared on Twitter in March 2020 as more people wore masks to protect themselves from Covid-19.

“Pro of being forced to wear a mask all day at work: no one can smell my coffee breath.
Con: mask induced acne (or maskne).”

“So who else has maskne (acne from wearing a mask every day)??? Where are my healthcare ppl at cause I know I’m not alone in this.”


The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reports that maskne is a disorder related to the “increased duration of mask wear.” Tropical climates can cause excessive sweating which aggravate the condition. Maskne can appear within six weeks of regular mask wearing. The article suggests using “antibacterial gentle cleansers and moisturizers formulated as prescription emollient devices, which help maintain a healthy skin barrier/microbiome. Spot acne treatment with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur, α-hydroxy acids, and retinoids predispose to irritant contact dermatitis under occlusion” (Teo).

Below is a useful guide on how to prevent maskne:

Shutterstock: Caelestiss

YouTuber Hyram offers useful tips on how to alleviate mask acne.

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #maskne: 83,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #maskne: 226,217 posts
TikTok #maskne: 227.2 million views
YouTube #maskne: 1,100 videos and 912 channels

Google Trends: maskne didn’t appear until the week of May 10, 2020. It reached its peak during the week of August 16 that year, during the height of summer, when those who developed maskne wanted to learn more about remedying the condition.

maskne search term

Sources:

Caelestiss. “How to prevent Maskne tips – acne or irritation caused by wearing protective face mask during Coronavirus pandemic. Infographic vector illustration isolated. female character portrait with pimples.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1872229447.

Hyram. “How to Prevent & Get Rid of “Maskne.” YouTube. August 12, 2020. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVVEiNKLDWo.

“Maskne”. Dictionary.com. August 4, 2020. URL: https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/maskne/?itm_source=parsely-api.

“Maskne”. Wikipedia. 9 January 2022. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maskne.

Teo, Wan-Lin. “Diagnostic and management considerations for “maskne” in the era of COVID-19.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. October 1, 2020. URL: https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(20)32664-5/fulltext.

Categories
Pandemic Vaccine Virus

Plandemic and Scamdemic

Today’s blog is a continuation of terms ending in “demic” which is derived from the Greek word dêmos, meaning people of a district. Today I will discuss two of them: “Plandemic” and “Scamdemic.” Some may take offense at these words, however, this is not my intent. I am simply listing words and phrases that have come into use during the pandemic.

Dictionary.com doesn’t have a formal definition for “plandemic” but it does appear in their article “Are These COVID-19 Words The Worst To Come Out Of The Pandemic?” The opening paragraph begins with the following statement: “What a year 2020 has been – and it’s not even over yet! With any new global event, new words tend to pop up, for better or worse, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Twitter user @Lemonhausen offered up plandemic as his “worst coinage” of 2020. The coinage plandemic, a blend of plan and pandemic, took off with the emergence of a conspiracy theory video that claimed COVID-19 is a planned and pre-arranged pandemic (hence plandemic) for pharmaceutical companies to make money.” The Urban Dictionary’s definition is “a term used by stupid people who do ‘research’ by watching conspiracy theory videos on YouTube.”

The term “scamdemic” appears in the Collins Dictionary as a “new word suggestion” which was submitted on August 9, 2020 and is still pending approval. The definition is “a pandemic that either does not exist or is not as serious as governments and health experts claim. Some see it as a ‘scamdemic’, ie a hoax. In this version Covid-19 does not exist at all or is no worse than a mild bout of flu. [The Economist, Sept 2020]” (AustinAllegro). Wiktionary defines the term as a”period of time where the idea of an ongoing pandemic is used to defraud the general public.” The only thing I have to say about this is the author of this blog was diagnosed last year with Covid-19 so the virus is real.

Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #plandemic: temporarily hidden

Facebook #scamdemic: temporarily hidden
YouTube #scamdemic: 592 videos and 274 channels

Google Trends: plandemic briefly appeared during the week of April 26, 2020 and reached its peak during the week of May 3, 2020. The popularity of the term quickly went down to almost zero.

plandemic search term

Google Trends: scamdemic appeared during the week of March 29, 2020 and reached its peak during the week of July 19 that year. Since then, the popularity of the term has remained constant but has mostly halved from its peak.

scamdemic search term

Sources:

99swag. “Plandemic”. The Urban Dictionary. September 17, 2020. URL: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=plandemic.

“Are These COVID-19 Words The Worst To Come Out Of The Pandemic?” Dictionary.com. September 21, 2020. URL: https://www.dictionary.com/e/worst-covid-19-words/.

AustinAllegro. “Scamdemic.” Collins Dictionary. August 9, 2020. URL: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/submission/22807/scamdemic.

“Scamdemic”. Wiktionary. April 24, 2020. URL: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scamdemic.

Categories
Pandemic Virus

Pre-pandemic and post-pandemic

The terms “pre-pandemic” and “post-pandemic” refer to the time before Covid-19 and the time after the pandemic has been declared formally ended, which has not yet happened.

As yet, there is no definition in any online dictionary for the term “pre-pandemic,” however it does appear in Dictionary.com in a use case for the term “premise”:

“The company had pre-pandemic plans to build five to 10 more, but Covid-19 proved to be a mass blow for a retail store chain built on the premise of offering a space for children to play in-person around purchasable toys.“

In an article for EveryDayHealth.com, writer Elizabeth Millard discusses the challenges of returning to pre-pandemic routines: “Although 43-year-old Minneapolis area resident and artist Christy Johnson is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and her state has lifted its mask mandates and many restrictions, she’s not eager to jump right back into her pre-pandemic routines. ‘During the pandemic, I felt happier than I ever have,” she says. “I’m a big introvert and homebody, so it’s not surprising that I’m not excited about getting back to my go-go-go life of pre-pandemic times.’”

We all look forward to the time when the pandemic will be declared over, done and finished with and we can begin the process of adjusting to a post-pandemic life where zoom meetings, cashless transactions and remote working are the norm. An article published in the November 24, 2020 issue of the online Harvard Gazette asks readers: “What will the new post-pandemic normal look like?..Harvard experts say some of our adaptations have accelerated already existing trends, like the development of a cashless society, the increase in remote work, and the decline of brick-and-mortar retail. And, they expect, some of these will become a more permanent part of the post-pandemic’s “new normal”” (Powell).

In some online news articles the terms “pre-pandemic” and “post-pandemic” appear together. A Forbes article published on September 29, 2020 and entitled “Pre-Pandemic Vs. Post-Pandemic Property Management Teams” reports on the challenges that property managers faced when dealing with clients during Covid-19 and how adopting different technologies allowed them to move to a fully remote learning model, as the author says “maintenance requests still get resolved, prospect queries still get answered, unit showings still occur and communication with residents is still frequent” (Kunes).


Social Media Trends as of May 17, 2022

Facebook #prepandemic: 16,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #prepandemic: 48,220 posts
TikTok #prepandemic: 79.6 million views
YouTube #prepandemic: 270 videos and 208 channels

Facebook #postpandemic: 26,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #postpandemic: 69,888 posts
TikTok #postpandemic: 26.8 million views
YouTube #postpandemic: 8,600 videos and 605 channels

Google Trends: pre-pandemic didn’t appear until the week of March 15, 2020 when coronavirus reached the United States. It reached its peak during the week of February 27, 2022 when enough time had passed that people felt the “pandemic era” was distinct in and of itself and they could refer back to the time before Covid-19 or “pre-pandemic.”

pre-pandemic search term

Google Trends: post-pandemic appeared during the week of March 29, 2020. When the outbreak first appeared in the United States it was said that two weeks of quarantine would “flatten the curve” and everyone could get back to normal life. However, two weeks turned into two years, and although Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted almost everywhere in the U.S., we are still living in a pandemic which has not quite become endemic as of this time of writing. The term reached its peak during the week of May 3, 2020 and since then has been through a series of peaks and troughs.

post-pandemic search term

Sources:

Kunes, Nathaniel. “Pre-Pandemic Vs. Post-Pandemic Property Management Teams: Who Has The Advantage?” Forbes.com. September 29, 2020. URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2020/09/29/pre-pandemic-vs-post-pandemic-property-management-teams-who-has-the-advantage/.

Millard, Elizabeth. “Why Getting Back to Pre-Pandemic Routines May Sound Exhausting, Psychologists Say.” EveryDayHealth.com. August 5, 2021. URL: https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/why-getting-back-to-pre-pandemic-routines-may-sound-exhausting-psychologists-say/.

Powell, Alvin. “What will the new post-pandemic normal look like?” Harvard Gazette. November 24, 2020. URL: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/our-post-pandemic-world-and-whats-likely-to-hang-round/.

“Premise” (Pre-pandemic). Dictionary.com. URL: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/premise.