Your favorite celebrity probably caught Covid, but they won't tell you that.

In October 2023, I went to a party and wore a mask. Someone next to me told their friend, “Why is she wearing a mask here?” I rolled my eyes so hard, but I kept my mask on.

Recently, it has come out that Renee Rapp has postponed her tour due to illness. She has stated that she has been feeling under the weather for most of her European tour and is taking time to rest to avoid her condition getting worse.

Renee Rapp isn’t the only celebrity who has had to postpone their tours because of illness. A few weeks ago, Justin Timberlake also announced that his European tour was canceled because of an illness. Timothée Chalamet was not able to make it to one of Dune's premieres because he had gotten sick. It was also revealed there was an illness going around with the Dune cast. Back in January, numerous celebrities tested positive for COVID–19 after the Golden Globes.

I wish Renee Rapp a good recovery, but this just reminded me of an ongoing occurrence: I rarely see celebrities wearing masks, but they are out everywhere all the time. Part of being a star requires you to make public appearances; I get that, but from my observations, they are all everywhere, taking little to no precautions.

Even at the 2023 Dreamcon, which numerous influencers and content creators attended, some attendees came out about how they caught COVID-19 at the convention, while others just said they were sick. However, in most of the pictures they saw from the event, barely anyone had a mask on, and it was crowded in there.

When COVID-19 took over in 2020, it was fascinating to see how so many people’s, not just celebrities’, sources of income were affected because most of their income required them to do public events. It’s not just concerts; it’s red carpet events, book and CD signings, and sometimes simply making an appearance at a place. Seeing that celebrities were going on tour again, I was confused about how that would work; from the looks of their Instagram pages, I knew they weren’t going to be performing with masks on, but would the audience wear a mask?

Well, when I went to Ziwe’s Black Friend comedy show in late 2023, I can confirm that there were probably only ten people in that audience wearing a mask, including myself.

As someone who struggles with anxiety, especially when it comes to my health because of my loved ones dying of illnesses, I still choose to wear masks to protect myself and those I am in the community with. In regards to my hobbies and the career path I decided on, I do attend in-person events, but I make sure to mask up, bring hand sanitizer, and wash my hands when I can. Often, the only time you’ll see me without a mask is if I’m taking pictures. I am not perfect, but I do what I can to prioritize my health, and it comes from understanding that COVID-19 is still serious; it never stopped being severe. It honestly does bother me that people act as if this disease is like getting food poisoning.

I understand how entertainers, and ordinary people in general, have to leave their houses in order to pay their bills. I know that people have to put on shows in order to make money from their craft. It’s capitalism that is to blame for this at the end of the day. But I wish we as a whole would stop treating COVID-19 like it’s a common cold: us treating it like it’s a minor inconvenience is why people are so lax about getting it, then are shocked when they learn it causes more harm to their bodies than they intended.

While I might get funny looks in public, I still will wear my mask to stay on the safe side.

Wear a mask, and make it fashionable. Keep your hands clean. Wipe down your surroundings. If you have to leave your home to make money (as most of us do), do what you can to protect your health. You only have one body; take care of it.