u/JackBarbell

I'm only about 30 chapters in, but given we all went through a pandemic of our own not too long ago, I have to ask:

Why did people in this story make zero effort to mask up (other than soldiers with respirators) or otherwise avoid people? It feels like no one even tried. I understand the virus was insane and obviously spread super easily, but it just feels like no one made much effort to avoid getting sick.

I mean there's photos from the Spanish Flu era with people wearing masks, so it's not like it's a new concept.

Or is the simple answer just that King didn't think of it?