Hygienic, surgical, solidarity masks... Since last May 21, the mask has become part of our image in an irremediably mandatory way by Order of the BOE. It is not an accessory whose use responds to new style trends -although it is marking it-. It is a necessary health imperative that we must internalize to effectively prevent the transmission of contagion. But it is not being easy.

It must be said that it is not a pleasant element to wear, nor is it aesthetically pleasing, no matter how attractive one may be. We are used to dress to be liked and to be liked, and the face, which, as the saying goes, is the mirror of the soul, is veiled by a piece of cloth. And let's not even mention how uncomfortable it is for those of us who are forced by nature to wear glasses.

The mask protects us from external pathogens. Yes, but, as the social beings that we are, it overrides our facial expressions, emotions and attitudes in our relationship with others. As we all know, our communication is not only verbal, but also gestural and with the face and the smile we accompany and reinforce our sound messages of understanding and complicity (the North American culture is a paradigmatic example in this sense).

To facilitate its availability and acquisition in the market, and to alleviate, in some way, the economic crisis that the pandemic is generating, textile brands have readjusted their production to try to make the protector that we must wear - in addition to an opportunity for income diversification - at least as suggestive, discreet or curious as possible and we can, as another complement, combine it with our closet. In this way, the mask, from a preventive health measure, has become a new image support for commercial and corporate brands in every field and sector.

Also in their variety, as in the greeting, we find a typology of use. In general, while the more colorful and branded hygienic masks are used in a more youthful and casual environment, surgical masks -which have a neutral appearance and are mostly light blue- are used by political and institutional representatives in their appearances. A serious and formal option that avoids becoming the bearer of a specific brand in the public opinion and reminds us of the sanitary sense and the exemplary nature of its use. And so we could observe, last Monday, July 6, how the state authorities attending the religious funeral organized by the Executive Council of the Episcopal lecture in La Almudena for the victims of the pandemic, apart from aesthetic aspects, showed the black in their clothing, but without removing at any time the surgical masks as a preventive measure.

In the same way, as a new element irremissibly present in official acts until new Order, the mask is being subject to protocol treatment. Its use is mandatory at events held in enclosed spaces where there is no safety distance or in open spaces if the separation between people cannot be guaranteed. However, the practice of its use is suspended at specific moments of an event in response to practical (speaking from a lectern, for the signature of agreements...) or solemn (listening to the national anthem) principles.

Regarding the protocol photos, the internship being used -advising that they can be taken in outdoor environments when time and space permit- consists of placing the protagonists separated by the safety distance and allowing them to remove their masks during the brief moment when the photo is taken, so as not to be photographed with them, and to put them back on at the end of the photo.

In this unexpected status we are living, there remains the hope that the mandatory use of masks will make us more aware of the importance of humanizing social relations. And while we wait for the effectiveness of a vaccine that will bring us back to normality, let us learn to read the smile because, even if it is sanitarily hidden, the sparkle of the eyes also speaks. And this is another oriental lesson.