To not understand why people have a problem with wearing a mask?

[Changednamesorry]

Where I live masks are mandatory for everyone over the age of 6 in any public indoor space (shop, train station, doctor's surgery etc) and where it is not possible to guarantee the 2m distance. 100 euro fine for non compliance.

Of course some people break this rule but the vast majority wear masks including a lot of kids younger than 6. My mum and dad in the UK also wear masks when out atm.... But they also said its ay best a 40% uptake and that in the supermarket the staff don't wear them!!!

Here on MumsNet i see lots of people saying that they "won't wear a mask".... Why? It's to protect others so surely its a good thing to do even if they are a bit uncomfortable?
In Asian countries (China, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea) mask wearing is and always has been done to protect others.

Why?

Yeah, a mask makes my hearing aids squeak but on public transport I can turn them off.

That's great. But for some people it isn't that simple.

Literally no one gives a shit about the deaf and hard of hearing until it suits their agenda

My only 'agenda' was to offer a different perspective on some of the difficulties deaf people with sensory issues face. You can do whatever you like!

Excellent post @Sonineties.

People in some Asian countries frequently wear masks to avoid pollution, nothing to do with viruses.

I'm not overkeen on wearing a mask; find them hot, but carry one in case I need to wear in confined spaces out, but not all the time I'm out.
Just received a batch of reusable fabric ones, they seem more comfortable.

Also have a visor attached to a baseball cap - much more comfortable. (Won't work for getting my hair cut though).

I have to wear one at work for entire 12.5 hour shifts (minus break time if sitting in staff room). I have no previous respiratory problems/asthma but even I struggle to breathe in them sometimes! After a shift it’s not unusual for me to have a wheeze & a cough. And in this heat they are x 10 worse.

Now for someone who already has asthma, COPD, ILD etc surely you can see how it’s going to be a bad idea to wear one.

@Davincitoad

Because everyone has a me me me complex. Thinks are are too special. And loves corona so much they don’t want to stop it spreading. Loads of people I know have developed ‘severe asthma’ so they don’t have to 🤷🏼‍♀️

Or because having had covid breathing issues for 3 months already it's far harder to breathe in a mask.

I don’t wear one because I’m genuinely not worried about the virus

I’m in an extremely low risk group where I think only 40 people in uk have died without underlying conditions so why should I

I’m not even actively avoiding getting it because we all have to get it at some point

Imo those who are at greater risk or who are worried should wear one and leave the rest of us to it

It’s ridiculous tbh how scared people are

It’s practicallu gone now

There’s no cases now in four of my nearest hospitals and I’m north west and which is one of the highest in the uk!

I went to a garden centre last week and there was a notice just inside the entrance saying masks must be worn. The bloke (I recognised him as the owner) was there and asked me if I had a mask. I explained that I can't wear one for medical reasons as I'm asthmatic. He wouldn't let me go in.

I am getting really fed up of it tbh. Yes, there will be some people with medical exemptions but I honestly don’t believe all the people I’ve seen on the tube and the bus without one fit into that category. I’m also seeing an increasing trend of people wearing them over mouths only or even wearing them on their fucking chin! I’m a teacher so I have to use public transport every day but it really freaks me out that I could end up getting sick and infecting the children at school.
As an aside, I’ve noticed it’s almost exclusively men who don’t wear masks. Make of that what you will!

I won't wear one due to a very traumatic event that involved my mouth and nose being covered. Having my mouth and nose covered puts me mentally back that situation and I have a panic attack. I have tried wearing my son's skiing neck buff over my face in the house but I can't manage more than a minute before I start to panic, so I have tried but I really can't do it.

I’m in an extremely low risk group Jesus. It’s not to protect you, it’s to protect others. What a shocking attitude.

Because it’s tokenism and virtue signalling. If they made a difference they should have been introduced before lockdown. I don’t believe or trust the government.

Because I find it uncomfortable and am more likely to paw at my face

Because once it’s introduced they’ll be slow to abolish the requirement.

Because the smell of detergent so close to my face on a washable one makes me feel sick.

Because when I did wear one no other bugger bothered so I didn’t see why I should.

I’ll avoid wearing one unless I have to here and as it’s just a face covering here and a scarf can suffice I’ll wear a thin scarf.

They are horribly uncomfortable and not compulsory.

I wear one in shops but I don't like it
Feel a bit panicky which probably reflects my stress levels 😄

Every time I’ve been out in public recently, I’ve worn a mask and every time I’ve been at the very least laughed at, at the worst spat on and had people, including a mother encourage her small child to join in, shout abuse at me. All for wearing a cloth mask.

I smell shite.

I hope you reported the spitting to the police?

I don't want to walk around with my mouth covered up. I want to breath air. I don't want to be breathing in fabric particles. The government should not be able to tell me what to wear. I don't think they actually help and I don't think it's good for you to wear one all day long.

I've had to wear one to hospital appointments and it's so uncomfortable, I can't stop touching it or my face and it makes for a really sinister environment when you can't see anyone's mouth.

Varifocals glasses wearer with astigmatism - mask affects how my glasses sit on my nose and interferes with my vision. Not to mention the constant steaming up (even when using masks with nose clips). it's a nightmare and extremely uncomfortable. I end up fiddling with mask constantly. And I think it is a placebo

People don't like them. They then look around for whatever science backs up them not wearing them and remain entrenched and convinced. also massive numbers of coronavirus is a lie conspiracy believers. You just can't wear a tin foil hat and face mask at the same time it would seem.

And they have made it mandatory far to late. If they had decided we had to wear masks 12 weeks ago I think there would be less people complaining. Horse and stable door come to mind.

Exactly

I was wearing one in the shops in March but no one else bothered

@FizzFan You can go back and check how many times I’ve mentioned this on MN, I can assure you it absolutely happened. It was a teenage girl who spat at me as I was close to my home then burst out laughing with her friends.

I really don’t care that you “smell shite”. Lucky you that you haven’t had to experience these things.

Because wearing a mask removes the ability for someone to fully see your pissed off expression as you jump into a hedge to avoid them

That made me laugh, though I don't wear them outside.

I’m sick of the excuses. If you have a genuine health problem fine. But if you “just don’t like it” then try getting over it

I am with you on this. Other countries have decent levels of compliance. We are not special, we have the same physiology as any other human in any other country. And they are getting on with wearing them.

As far as I see, there are no exemptions. If you won’t wear one then you have to stay at home..

So the most vulnerable can go out expecting everyone to wear masks to protect them, but the disabled who can’t wear them have to stay home.

What a fantastic society!

Trauma involving suffocation here. I've tried several and still have a mark on my face from ripping one off in a hurry. Luckily I don't need to go on public transport, dh is doing all the shopping and I don't need medical treatment. I do have a letter from my nhs consultant psychiatrist saying I'm exempt due to a diagnosis of PTSD but I'd rather avoid places where it's required than risk confrontation.

For people who work in shops it is much better to have perspex screens (or visors if moving around the shop) than rely on not very effective PPE that even with training people struggle to stop touching.

Those at risk should absolutely take measures to protect themselves whether that’s masks gloves or avoiding certain situations

But I completely disagree that the rest of us have to do all that

It’s about taking personal responsibility

Here in Boston I know several people who swore they couldn't and wouldn't wear a mask. They got over it very quickly when they couldn't enter any shops of any kind without one. This is strictly enforced.