Research-based drawings are used to demonstrate how face masks functioned as floating signifiers in the public space in Belgium during the 2020 pandemic. Face masks have become the external hallmark of a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, a potentially life-threatening virus that is, by definition, invisible. Paradoxically, the presence of face masks seems to indicate a risk of infection, while the absence of face masks indicates safety. Unlike in Asian countries, a mask is not a sign of solidarity in Belgium; it is a personal attribute that can be worn in many different ways. These observations are contrasted with how medical personnel is wearing protective equipment in a COVID-19 unit at a hospital.

基于研究的图纸用于展示 2020 年大流行期间口罩如何在比利时的公共空间中作为浮动标志发挥作用。口罩已成为由 SARS-CoV-2 引起的大流行的外部标志，SARS-CoV-2 是一种潜在威胁生命的病毒，根据定义，它是隐形的。矛盾的是，有口罩似乎表明存在感染风险，而没有口罩则表明安全。与亚洲国家不同，在比利时，戴口罩并不是团结的标志；它是一种可以以多种不同方式佩戴的个人属性。这些观察结果与医务人员如何在医院的 COVID-19 病房中佩戴防护设备形成对比。