Yeah I was hearing about it since before January 2020. Pretty myself and my family actually had it around then. I had it on New Years Eve of 2020 and the week that followed.
We were very aware of it before the CDC or WHO had anything about it on their websites.
We even were wearing masks for awhile and getting weird looks. By the time they started mandating masks we'd already realized we don't need them. :P
You could use rubber bands and tissue paper to make a mask and that would make them happy. You'd be complying. Wearing your modern day yellow star.