Editor's note: Chen Feng is an editor with China Plus. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In emergencies, people make do with anything available to cover their noses and mouths.

Some say only the sick needs to wear masks, and they shouldn't hang out anyway. East Asians, however, think differently in outbreaks. Sick or not, we wear masks to protect ourselves and to protect others. COVID-19 is highly infectious. Even asymptomatic patients and those in incubation period could be contagious.

The town of Prato is a good example. It hosts Italy's biggest Chinese community. There has not been a single case of COVID-19 infection among its 50,000 Chinese residents, as of March 31. The local Chinese went into voluntary lockdown from late January, and wore masks whenever they were out. Soon, others followed suit. They made the right choice.

But would you still wear a mask if it's made-in-China? China produces half of the world's masks but some production lines weren't designed for exports.

Call a mask a mask. If it works in China, why not elsewhere? No one has time for hidden agendas such as market grabbing or "mask diplomacy," for both suppliers and buyers were caught unprepared. Only those with other motives can spare the time to think of taking advantage of a crisis by blocking imports and bringing back factories and jobs.

When medical staff have had to make masks by themselves, or prolong their usage, when buyers find that the masks they have ordered were sent to other destinations for higher prices, and when producers are working against time to meet the growing needs as chartered planes wait at the airport, does standard's difference matter more than the basic need of covering your mouths and noses? Unless you treasure other things more than life.

As infection and death figures skyrocket, life matters the most.

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