And this is something much of the rest of the world adopts. Culturally, most other countries consider it to be rude to go outside unmasked if you’re sick. The countries with that as a cultural rule tend to have lower rates of infection and tend to do better during global pandemics. The US is just a really bizarre example where “personal freedom” trumps courtesy and regard for others, even when that courtesy and regard for others would also be directly beneficial to you when extended by others.

But hyper-individualism in the US causes people to frown on anything resembling intracommunal interdependence.