To think more people would be willing to wear masks if...

[Lovely1a2b3c]

they thought that masks protected them from others (rather than vice versa- which they do to a limited extent) AND that Covid-19 posed a personal risk?

Masks protect both the wearer and those they are around. In addition if everyone wears them then we are all protecting each other. There are probably a limited number of people who genuinely cannot wear masks for medical reasons but some countries have a very high compliance.

I think that if the government had said that masks protected people from the beginning rather than saying that they only protect other people AND if people realised that even 20/30 somethings can be very ill (not necessarily die in most cases, but definitely suffer a prolonged period of feeling really unwell) then more Brits would be willing to wear them.

[raffle]

Well from the 24th they have no choice!

[PickAChew]

Well our chances of getting our autistic 16 year old out of the house have reduced. The news has really upset him. Even though he's exempt, seeing lots of masks freaks him out.

[Tolleshunt]

Didn’t they tell us they only protected others to put us off buying them when there was a shortage?

Now it suits them for us to all wear them they’ll suddenly discover they protect the wearer too.

[instaclicks]

I'm glad they will be compulsory. My autistic 17 year old may finally go out if everyone has to wear them. Should have been made compulsory way before now though

[GalesThisMorning]

People are weird. The ones who have been moaning the loudest about the horrors of lockdown are the same ones moaning about having to wear masks. What else do they want? We need to be able to get the economy going and get back to normal while still keeping rates of infection low. Surely once we all start mingling indoors in large numbers the rates of infection will rise again. Why wouldn't you just wear a mask?

[Wolfsony]

But when worn properly they do protect the wearer. The effect you get depends on the material it's made of and the fit. It was utter horseshite that they ever said otherwise and a mistake we will all pay for.

[Sally872]

I felt more obliged to wear a mask to protect others. I might pop into shop and take a small risk to myself but I won't walk around showing i couldn't care less about others and would worry I meet someone collecting shopping for vulnerable.

[IAintentDead]

Not remotely interested in protecting me.

I would happily wear one - and wear it properly - if I believed it would protect others. Nothing I have seen, despite extensive research, gives me any belief it protects others. Will wear one as and when I have to but will go out and spend less if (and it's a big if) it becomes essential.

By that I don't mean legal as that means fuck all without enforcement. If most people don't bother as I believe will be the case, there will be no enforcement.

[CloudsCoveredTheSky]

Why are people in the west so weird about this? They've been common here in Asia for years and no one moans about not being able to breathe/being hot/not liking the feel of them.

People need to grow up and stop moaning about every little thing.

[WhenCoronaWasALager]

I feel bad for people financially constrained. All this hand gel and face masks aren't cheap.

[Ulrikaka]

As I understand it, people largely wear them in Asia due to high levels of pollution. There are not high levels of coronavirus.

[blue25]

In some parts of Asia, people wear face masks when they have a cold to prevent other people from catching it. Makes complete sense and seems very considerate. Most people here just think about themselves.

[RIPworkingmums]

The thing with masks is... you’re never going to please everyone. I really don’t want to wear one, no I don’t like the feel of them and I don’t like being told what to wear. Personally I will be shopping much much less when they’re compulsory. But there is another whole group of people who are the opposite, they will feel much safer and shop more knowing that everyone is taking that extra precaution.

[BogRollBOGOF]

No one has stopped people from wearing masks if they find it comforting.
I'm finding less and less people wearing them. Less shop staff taking the option. Less customers wearing them.
The demographic I am seeing more of is older people who are wearing them as they venture out more.

Supermarkets have been open throughout without being major transition points for virus spread.

The timing is completely illogical. Either it should have been done back in March with a high community transmission, or in June when non-essential shops opened.

There is no logic in doing it in 10 days time.

[LagunaBubbles]

Not really getting why some people seem to be having such childish tantrums surrounding wearing masks.

[PickAChew]

@LagunaBubbles

Not really getting why some people seem to be having such childish tantrums surrounding wearing masks.

Are you neurotypical and physically healthy?

[Sonineties]

They do lots of things in Asia differently - not all good. (Eg smoking - is prevalent across much of Asia - people still smoke in offices and there is a grim stench of smoke in many hotel rooms. Asian airlines were among the very last in the world to continue to allow smoking on aeroplanes...it was only banned for good in China a couple of years ago and Japan Airlines was the last airline to ban it on international flights... Really if Asian governments were truly worried about health they would focus more on eliminating smoking.) Mask wearing there is a cultural thing to do with demonstrating obedience and social conformity. It doesn’t have much to do with health. In fact in Tokyo, they had serious outbreaks of COVID despite mass wearing -because people thought it was Ok not to social distance if you had a mask. Whereas social distancing is more effective at limiting infections...

[Whichoneofyoudidthat]

@Sonineties

They do lots of things in Asia differently - not all good. (Eg smoking - is prevalent across much of Asia - people still smoke in offices and there is a grim stench of smoke in many hotel rooms. Asian airlines were among the very last in the world to continue to allow smoking on aeroplanes...it was only banned for good in China a couple of years ago and Japan Airlines was the last airline to ban it on international flights... Really if Asian governments were truly worried about health they would focus more on eliminating smoking.) Mask wearing there is a cultural thing to do with demonstrating obedience and social conformity. It doesn’t have much to do with health. In fact in Tokyo, they had serious outbreaks of COVID despite mass wearing -because people thought it was Ok not to social distance if you had a mask. Whereas social distancing is more effective at limiting infections...

Whaaaat? No. Mask wearing became commonplace after SARS. What the UK is experiencing now happened back then. School closures, restrictions, residential lockdowns etc. This isn’t SE Asia’s first rodeo.

The Japan outbreak was mostly due to a religious event cluster. Indoors, lots of singing = easy spread.

Masks help. That’s why they’re worn.

The smoking thing comparison has baffled me.

[SnowsInWater]

What I see here in Sydney is that people wearing masks don't seem to feel the need to social distance, those without do. In my local supermarket people without masks on give each other a wide berth, stand back to let other pass etc. whereas those with masks will pretty much bump into you, stand too close waiting for the till etc. Obviously that is just my personal experience but it does leave me in two minds about the mask thing. I have some which I have worn to the doctor's surgery and when I was waiting for a COVID test (negative) the nurse gave me a much more comfortable one than I have. I think if I could buy those ones I would probably wear them.

[TaxTheRatFarms]

@Ulrikaka

As I understand it, people largely wear them in Asia due to high levels of pollution. There are not high levels of coronavirus.

Not in Japan. Really common to wear masks and pollution is not a worry. Just go there and see. The second you even sniffle, a kindly middle aged woman will wrestle you to the ground and attach a mask to you

Oh, and to the poster who talked about Japan’s “serious” outbreaks? Japan has under 1000 deaths according to Worldometers. I thought that was really suspicious, but excess deaths in Tokyo for April were “only“ up 1000 from the norm. Even if that were replicated across every major city they’re still way behind our 45,000.

This article sums it up better:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53188847

[Doingtheboxerbeat]

I agree that we do seem like spoilt children when it comes to our reluctance to wearing masks compared to other nations. But if I had to choose between the situation in April across the globe to wearing a little face covering - which you will get used to - then I know what I would chose.
I wonder how many people belly ached about wearing gas masks when it was necessary at the time?

[Notfeelinggreattoday]

Wheres the research please that you have seen that it protects the weArer ? The non medical face coverings that the public will likely wear ?
Also at the beginning there was little evidence re : masks even who didnt advise them , we are still learning

[Ludoole]

I feel for those who have limited or no hearing and rely on lip reading... masks make it impossible.

Suppose its good for muggers and thieves though as they would be pretty hard to identify on cctv...

[Goosefoot]

I'm not sure. Self-interest can make a difference, but I'm not sure that is really what is stopping people in this instance.

I would say that the reasons are fairly deeply psychological. Part is that many don't assess the risk as high. And I'm not sure that is a matter of not realising some people do get quite sick - it's more that even so, people know that quite a few people don't get sick at all or have very mild symptoms. Combined with that will be how much they see of it around them, and in the people they know, and to some extent statistics about community spread in their area.

But also, for many it's a high bar to get over the disinclination to wear one. People really really dislike them, and while part of that is things like physical discomfort or not being able to hear properly when others wear them, I think many have a lot of psychological discomfort with covered faces.

I also think it's part of human psychology to get used to risks that become part of normal life. People aren't made to live abnormally, in a high stress emergency state, for very long. This has always been one of the limits of pandemic lockdowns.

[stopgap]

It’s really not a big deal. I live in Connecticut, which, after the initial surge, currently has its numbers under control and our R-rate is now .8

Why? I believe that mask-wearing is a huge reason. There’s no overriding “Live Free Or Die” mentality, unlike in the South, and we’ve been wearing masks since March, and on a compulsory basis not long after that. So, inside stores, restaurants (until you eat), malls etc. everyone is wearing a mask. My kids are 8 and 6, and even they’re used to them.