One of the guys in the lab apparently got a bit creeped out by the Ebola scare, and he bought a huge box of surgical face masks that he wears when he goes outside. It's a rather odd reaction considering:
1) Your chances of randomly encountering an Ebola sufferer in public in Oklahoma are very small.
2) If you do encounter an Ebola sufferer, then as long as you don't touch them and they don't bleed, spit, or throw up on you, you'll be okay.
3) If you encounter an Ebola sufferer and touch them, the face mask won't protect you.