‘I need protective wear to stay alive’
A Perthshire woman who needs to wear a face mask at all times for a medical condition has revealed she has been abused in the street because of coronavirus.
Cindy Courtney (58), from Stanley, wears a full respiratory mask in a bid to stay alive.
The keen knitter suffers from severe allergies and inhaling particles in the air - anything from grass pollen, weed killer and perfume to car exhaust fumes and new paint - could bring on anaphylactic shock and potentially kill her.
But recently her already difficult life has got much worse as face masks become associated with
coronavirus symptoms.
Wearing a protective face mask, not just at home but when she goes out and about, has led to Cindy being picked on by suspicious strangers who think it has something to do with COVID-19.
They mistakenly assume her mask indicates she has the infectious disease and could be spreading it.
She said:“I have had people shouting at me, in the street, when I go out to the shop, saying‘get away! you’ve got coronavirus, you should not be out giving it to people.’
“I’m a good person. I don’t have coronavirus. I have anaphylaxis. Everyday stuff in the air like vapour from paint or car exhausts, aftershave and perfume brings on such severe allergies I could swell up and stop breathing. I get itchy, my whole body goes burgundy. I face these dangers every day. I need a mask to survive.”
Cindy has to watch what she eats and she praised her local shop, Stanley Stores.
She said:“They get in food specially for me that’s free from allergens like soya. Lynne and Morag at the shop where I live have been amazing and they help me a lot. But now even going out to buy something is an ordeal. People just blurt out stuff.
“With this unwanted attention I’m feeling heartbroken and so very upset by the horrible comments of frankly ignorant people. The people of Stanley are used to seeing me with my mask on, the vast majority are really understanding. But I was not expecting to be the target of so much heartless commenting from folk who don’t know me.
“I’ve been threatened. This week I was in a Perth supermarket and staff had to intervene. People were verbally attacking me. Now I don’t know what to do. I already spend a huge amount of time tucked away inside. While the coronavirus is making everybody jumpy I think I’d be best to isolate myself - from horrible people who have no idea what’s really wrong with me. It’s making me very depressed.”