Supermarket staff and facemasks?

[Jayfee]

As masks reduce the spread of the virus, I think it would be reasonable to expect the staff in supermarkets to wear simple masks. With so many staff picking food from the shelves in Tesco for online delivery customers, it was impossible to keep 2 metres apart in the aisles. I was wearing a simple mask to reduce the chance of spreading the virus should I be presymptomatic or asymptomatic and I would have felt more at ease if the staff were also wearing masks (provided by Tesco. Aibu?

I saw this today which should help explain things. From my understanding, there is no real benefit to face masks outside of a clinical setting unless you are symptomatic.

Most people I see wearing masks clearly haven’t a clue How to use them effectively. Our local waitrose is offering staff masks and the number I see wearing them on their chin or Only on their mouth or pulling them up and down To speak to people drives me nuts. And I bet they get one per shift.

If masks are to be worn then why just supermarket staff - customers are just as likely to be carrying the virus - and people need proper guidance in their safe use.

Everyone should wear a face covering. You do it to protect other people rather than trying to avoid catching it. Therefore if everyone wore one it would likely slow the spread.

Customers should also wear them then not just staff members. My supermarket have given staff members masks now and shown how to wear them safely

Aren’t the decent ones really hard to get at the moment? Especially in such high numbers?

Tesco have supplied us with masks. I don’t want to wear one

Most people are wearing ones which don't make a difference at all, so there's really no purpose of them.

I see your point but if someone goes into a store wearing a mask they'll be in there 30-40mins max? To ask shop workers to wear them potentially 8-10hrs per day, possibly 5x a week? I can see why many wouldn't want to.

I've seen so many people including shop workers using their masks incorrectly and so rendering them useless. If people aren't educated in proper PPE use then it's very wasteful.

I think it must be really unpleasant to wear a mask even for an hour

To ask they wear them for their whole shift - no. The job is hard enough.

Having read this I think perhaps it is the length of time they would need to be worn which makes them difficult. My understanding is that wearing any covering over mouth and nose reduces the spread.

Here's more info from the center of disease control and prevention

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

I saw a woman wearing a face mask, pull it down to eat crisps in the car park.

We have masks if we wish to wear them. I work between 9 and 12 hours. It is not comfortable to keep them on for that length of time. Everyone who has tried wearing them and also happens to wear glasses have said their glasses steam up. You cannot hear each other properly when talking so have to stand closer to each other breaking social distancing.