SIL still isolating due to covid risk

Rubbish. As long as it fits snugg without gaps it's fine. (98%effective) The vent is optional and will make it more comfortable for the wearer but has no impact on the masks ability to protect the wearer.
Surgical (baggy blue) masks have limited impact on airborne viruses as they are designed, as you say, for droplets.
Covid is predominately airborne..

Here's someone else's experience if you don't believe mine.I
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89w84wzv1vo

People at work, and some family members have a go at me for wearing a mask, random people shout things at me etc when I'm out, but I've learnt to ignore it. I'm not sure why you felt the need to come on here and insist that no-one is hassled for wearing a mask when you obviously couldnt possibly know.

So random people you don’t even know come up to you and have a go at you for wearing a mask. Really?

How on earth would you know? I wear a mask due to being immunocompromised but don't know anyone else, or see anyone else in real life who does, so if it weren't for my own experiences I would have no idea how people wearing one were treated.

Not only do I not, but I’ve never seen nor heard of anyone else doing so either.

Mind you MN is like a 2020/21 throwback, IRL Covid never gets more then a passing mention, no one goes on about long covid, no one dropping like flies of unexplained complications either. It’s back to 2019 life, with no adverse consequences of Covid, for 99.5% of the population

She is mentally ill and needs professional help. Covid merely brought her ill health to the surface.

The two options aren't 'the overwhelming majority of people have no complications from covid' versus 'the overwhelming majority of people already have long covid.' A substantial number of people have some form of post covid complication, whether it's classic long covid or one of the many other medical conditions that research has linked to the virus. The number of people affected is likely to continue rising as repeated infections increase the risk of complications.

Apart from the immense human suffering caused, there's the significant economic and practical issue that a large increase in the number of people with chronic illnesses isn't good for our country or the world. It would be a very sensible idea for the government to implement measures like improved ventilation in public buildings to reduce infections, though I don't have much hope of that happening any time soon as the british government seen incapable of sensible measures!

It would also be wise for society to acknowledge these issues and plan how to reduce future cases of long covid, as well as to better support those who are already affected, rather than continuing to ignore the problem.
I know that some people seem get upset at the posting of studies, but no one is forcing you to read them. This is a systematic review on the global prevalence of long covid: https://academic.oup.com/ofid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ofid/ofaf533/8244677.
So yes, it's a global issue!

I was finally diagnosed with long covid about 9 months ago but prefer to live my life to the full when I feel well enough
Shielding is no life - please try and get her to seek help for her MH

Is is true that the overwhelming majority of people that got covid are fine.

Covid was global you realize that? Why hasn't the entire planet and society broken down if most people have never recovered from covid.

Not reading your nonsense. You clearly have an agenda, and that's to think that the whole planet is doomed because of covid.

I don't think it's any of your business tbh. If you manage to persuade her to stop avoiding covid and she ends up disabled by long covid what then? Are you going to to give up work and become her carer?

Depending on the specific mask she is wearing and the fit an N95 is approx 94-99 percent effective so it dramatically reduces your risk.

Yes N95 is the same, but unless it is has an outlet vent, is properly fitted and changed regularly it is of limited use and not totally resistant.

Its really sad to see people still masking - the original intent was that if everyone in unison wore surgical masks the spread of droplets would be reduced (but not eliminated) - there is a measurable effect with that in place, but not significant enough for it to have been a good idea.

You absolutely can protect yourself with a rubber full face mask with the correct filters, but to be honest you would look a tit wearing that in Tesco.

Yes an N95 is an FFP3 mask (no rubber seals required). It obviously served her well and prevented her from getting covid. Well done.Seems to me she knows exactly what she is doing.

She does realise that unless she is wearing a FFP3 twin filter fitted rubber mask it's doing nothing!

The blue paper ones were in aid of reducing spread from an infected person, and even that is a grey area.

Presumably your brother goes out, going on 6 years of one of the most infectious respiratory virus' known, I would think she has been infected by now and just not known about it!

Yes that's exactly it. It's a shame that so many people base their beliefs on what makes them feel good rather than on evidence, and then get upset when people share information that contradicts their beliefs. It's not just covid it happens in so many areas of life.

I agree. It's the people who don't want anyone to take precautions who get aggressive.

No-one is telling them they have to. People just want them to leave the people alone who choose to - without accusing them of hysteria or paranoia or having a life not worth living.

It's like the kid at school who doesn't want to do their homework but wants to ridicule everyone who does. Deep down it's because they have an insecurity of some sort about their position or they'd just leave others to their own choices and devices.

OP if you want to support her than talk to her. But not to try and convince her otherwise regarding covid. You can still talk on the phone, video calls, even offer to visit/meet outdoors masked FFP3 and/or test. If that is a step too far for you than you need to ask yourself how much do you want to genuinely want to 'support' her - or just get her to behave the way you do about covid. You could even do some reading up on covid - it seems many people think they know covid is 'just a cold' but have never read any of the peer reviewed studies or medical research (and there are a lot!!). On a positive note, there are a number of countries in late stage trials of some very successful neutralising nasal sprays that will stop covid in its tracks - Germany, France, Canada and US to name a few. So there is a solution on the way.

Well you may not harass people for wearing a mask but plenty of people do, it's true whether it not you believe it.

I don't care if people wear masks, I just don't need to bombarded with a pre prepared list of studies trying to prove their point.

People who are isolating from friends and family and not leaving their house after nearly 6 years DO need counseling. Its not just about wearing a mask.

lol of course you think ‘successful small business owners’ are where it’s at. This is one of the funnier posts I have read on mumsnet.

But she isn’t even doing that, nor is she just minding her own business. She’s effectively opted out of life. If she was going about wearing a mask no one would give a shit probably. I see some people in masks every day. I just don’t believe you about constant demands and tantrums to stop masking. I just assume people are still a bit paranoid but I basically couldn’t care less. Living the life of a hermit in her 30s to avoid an illness which could have nasty effects but is far more likely to be just a cold is not simply
taking normal precautions but indicative of being quite mentally unwell