Anyone still wearing a face mask in all enclosed spaces?

[Newabodemode]

I'm just curious as I attend a regular meeting with work bringing together a range of people from other companies. There's one colleague who I've got to know a bit over the past couple of years. He wears a valved face mask whenever he is indoors or any enclosed space, other than in his own home. It's the heavier duty type with a valve, not the blue and white surgical kind, and he only drinks through a straw using the valve, and doesn't eat until he's outside or back at home. I've not met anyone else who still masks other than if they've a heavy cold but have to be around other people on public transport etc or are visiting older relatives.

His partner has CFS/ME/long COVID and he says he masks to protect her. I know they have a young toddler who the wife stays home to care for.

Even when my father in law was going through heavy chemotherapy recently he wasn't told to mask while he was immunocompromised nor for others around him to. My own father lived with a complex and rare immune system disorder for years and took immunosuppressants for years and no mask advice was given (albeit this was pre-pandemic).

I am genuinely trying to understand both the level of risk involved in this situation and how a baby and now toddler fits into this risk management.

Everyone is very accommodating and polite but a couple of people have commented privately that the mask makes communication hard and it can be difficult to hear what this person's saying at times. We work around it obviously but my mind just goes to 'will he have to do this forever?'.
Does everyone living with someone who has long COVID, ME or CFS mask like this? Is it medically advised? Or are some people more at risk than others?

This

Haven’t we established the man is wearing a medical grade mask - or can people just not read? Explains a lot.

Covid still remains a health risk particularly for those with health conditions.
NHS guidance for those remains to consider wearing a mask (sadly they don't mention FFP2/3 as far superior), good ventilation, testing, vaccines and even working from home.
Would you comment on someone using a walking stick/frame, guide dog, wheelchair, hearing aids, meds etc etc to support their health?
www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk#keeping-yourself-safe

No I wouldn't but it's not really the same thing. The person I'm commenting on isn't the person directly affected. They're not the person with CFS/ME/Long COVID who is masking, they're the partner of someone with it. (From what my work contact has said in chat between meeting business, they also mask in these circumstances but are unable to work at all.) So it's not my work contact using a wheelchair or walking stick or hearing aid for themselves rather they're wearing a mask because their partner is at risk.

Which is because if they catch covid (or anything else) they would pass it on to their partner. Not that difficult to understand that they would want to protect their loved one. And no doubt they probably realise risking catching covid isn't necessary when its so easy to wear a mask and prevent it.
Why are you so bothered by them protecting their health?

I am simply curious as to the rationale and frequency of masking in this way. I explained in my OP that I know / have known lots of people who are themselves immunosuppressed due to cancer treatments or immune system conditions or who live with people who are but in those cases neither the directly affected person nor the relative / housemate mask in this way on an ongoing basis, if at all. This person is the only person I encounter who does this and it struck me as being unusual. That's all. The responses here seem to confirm what I thought.

Given the numbers of people living with Long COVID etc I wonder why we don't see more people masking in this way. Will those who do mask feel they have to mask this way for the rest of their lives or are cures for these conditions likely to be found, I wonder?

(You're very defensive about a simple question, asked on a chat board, the purpose of which is discussion, with no indentifiable reference to the individuals being discussed.)

Advice written in the pandemic.

Masks being especially effective in the period even before people know they're ill but can still transmit a virus...

Hence why we were all advised to wear them in the pandemic but aren't now. For the most benefit, they have to be worn all the time not only when you're actually ill. Outside of a pandemic, that's just never going to happen on a massive scale, is it?

I was a solid mask wearer during the pandemic, and wore the heavier grade masks myself when the evidence emerged that they were the most effective. But I wouldn't say I found it easy and am very glad I don't feel I have to still do that on a daily basis for hours at a time now. Very grateful. I wouldn't describe it as easy.

There's a larger number of people masking, but many face bizarre hostility from others, so probably keep away from busy places. Likewise some of those that are ill likely aren't out and about in public much anyway. As for why everyone with illness isn't wearing them, same goes for why do people still smoke, drink, eat unhealthily, become vegetarian/vegan, exercise etc - everyone makes their own choices. Does make you wonder how much covid illness & damage is driving the increasing sickness.
This article might answer some of your questions.
whn.global/yes-we-continue-wearing-masks/