I've always thought that was just something some people in general choose to do to avoid spreading a disease whenever they have one (whether that disease be called Covid or not). My girlfriend decided to wear a cloth one to school today because she had a cold over the weekend, and I've seen some other people who sound sniffly do the same in the past (in cases completely unrelated to the Covid mask stuff, keep in mind). It seems like an uncommon practice in the West, but it is something I've observed. Do a lot of East Asians really wear them specifically because of all of the fumes that they pump into their air? I always believed it was just one of those etiquette things, to be thoughtful of avoiding spreading an ailment.