Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be mystified by people wearing masks on their chins

53 replies

agonyauntie2020 · 04/07/2020 02:36

Or over their mouths but not their noses.

Why, just why?

I read somewhere (this is a bit crude) that it was about as much use as wearing a condom over your testicles.

OP posts:
BeyondMyWits · 04/07/2020 09:17

I don't think people know how the human body works. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth

You may, others do not necessarily. (I am a mouth breather)

wohmum · 04/07/2020 09:17

@TroysMammy

I don't think people know how the human body works. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.
Do you? I don’t - I breathe on and out through my nose unless I’m doing yoga
tiredanddangerous · 04/07/2020 09:21

TroysMammy
I don't think people know how the human body works. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.

Eh? I breathe in and out through my nose unless I have a cold. As do dh and my dc.

MrBennsshop · 04/07/2020 09:27

@TroysMammy

I don't think people know how the human body works. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.
Grin
KeepingPlain · 04/07/2020 09:31

Let's face the facts. We can't even get the majority of the public to wash their hands properly. Do you really think we can trust them to put a mask on to the standard a surgeon would, which is effectively the standard you're looking for? No spreading of anything from the person wearing it. That's the point of masks.

Then you've got the ones wearing fabric masks. Sure they look pretty, do they do anything? Doubtful. Probably let's out a fair amount more than what you think.

I'm not convinced on masks being useful. In China, a lot of people wore masks there in the cities because of pollution and no doubt health reasons before covid anyway. And yet, they still had a hell of a lot of cases, and I doubt we saw the true numbers. They just had to lockdown Beijing again because of another outbreak.

Wear them if you want, but you should be washing your hands immediately after putting it on, never touching it or your face, washing your hands after removing it, storing it correctly in an airtight container or throwing it away correctly (not the ground like many do). If you are wearing gloves, you don't touch your phone after you out them on, or your face. You wash your hands prior to putting them on and after, including wrists not just hands. I doubt the majority wearing masks and/or gloves are doing any of that. There will be a minority that do, but most won't.

Bramblyberries · 04/07/2020 09:36

But since most people are just wearing cloth masks to stop them spreading it when they cough or sneeze, it doesn't really matter if they take it off and on a bit to eat/drink/talk - it's still doing a bit of good, about as much as it ever would. The rules about not touching it ever, washing your hands after, etc, are more to stop you from getting it if you are wearing it, which isn't what most of the masks are for at the moment as they're not that standard.

Iwalkinmyclothing · 04/07/2020 09:42

I don't think people know how the human body works. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.

Do you? My mouth is usually closed. Do you walk around with yours open all the time for breathing?

tigger1001 · 04/07/2020 09:44

@tiredanddangerous

*TroysMammy I don't think people know how the human body works. You breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth.*

Eh? I breathe in and out through my nose unless I have a cold. As do dh and my dc.

Am the same. Definitely a nose breather. Hate having a stuffy nose and having to breathe through my mouth.
GisAFag · 04/07/2020 09:46

I have to wear one at work and breathing in your own warm breath makes you hot! And when I get the train I have 2 flights of stairs to walk up and I can hardly breath when I reach the top. Agree that as soon as your near someone put the mask over you mouth and nose. Fresh air is lovely after a while of wearing the mask

Frozenfrogs86 · 04/07/2020 10:01

I can see the point in public transport where you are in very close proximity, but I think due to the increased face touching (I'm as guilty as anyone...the mask rides up etc) for anyone who is likely to be touching things and doesn't have hand washing available it probably does more harm than good.

BananaPop2020 · 04/07/2020 10:08

@SisyphusAndTheRockOfUntidiness I agree, there seems to be a real over estimation of the power of the face covering. It also seems to encourage other contradictory behaviour.

HereForYou2020 · 04/07/2020 10:24

Yes strage.

I often see people in a car on their own driving along with a mask on...why?

Or walking along a beach on their own with dog ad so far away from anyone with a mask on... odd

HereForYou2020 · 04/07/2020 10:25

Imagine breathing in and out through it when totally unneccesary and the mask getting hot and damp....yuck... and no one in the car with you or no one near you on the walk..

Why?

Bramblyberries · 04/07/2020 10:33

well presumably those people are doing what some of the people on this thread want - not touching or taking off their mask! they might well have travelled to that location from somewhere busier, or they might be going somewhere busier in the car, and don't want to keep touching it to take it on and off. I don't think it matters that much, given that the cloth masks are just minimal protection for others in case you cough or sneeze, but it depends what you think the purpose is, what type of mask, and what environments you are going to/coming from.

HereForYou2020 · 04/07/2020 10:33

This:

"Most people who insist on not socially distancing in shops wear masks in my experience - it's like they are invincible."

Indeed, I don't wear a mask but I do socially distance or not go where it is really busy. Quite a lot of the mask wearings are really close to others, touch their masks constantly, and then touch surfaces. Seems a bit pointless...

However, a great science YouTube clip with the twin doctors showed a test with growing what you cough out on petri dishes and they did a close up cough, 50 cm cough and one with the cough into the elbow and just coughing into te elbow reduced transmission massively... so the mask (if you are coughing) stops you coughing over others

TheHighestSardine · 04/07/2020 10:37

@HereForYou2020 I often see people in a car on their own driving along with a mask on...why?

Because you don't want to touch the mask after it's been put on, unless you can wash your hands after each time. If you're going to two places where you need to mask, it stays on between times. Same for the walkers, who are even less likely to be able to wash their hands.

ConradKnightSocks · 04/07/2020 10:44

@PhoneLock

If the weather improves, there should be some interesting tan lines about.
Grin
phoenixrosehere · 04/07/2020 10:50

Currently wearing mine not completely covered my nose and mouth because I get motion sick on buses and cars when it comes to bendy roads and roundabouts (trains, no problem). I can either wear it completely and then faint and/or vomit on the bus because I cannot take in enough air or I can continue sitting in my seat with it covering my mouth while taking fresh air in.

stayingaliveisawayoflife · 04/07/2020 10:52

I bought anti fog cloth for my glasses from Amazon. It does help.

trappedsincesundaymorn · 04/07/2020 11:06

Couples shopping together but only one with a mask on. Surely if they are worried about being vulnerable and getting ill, both should wear one

My OH doesn't wear one....if he has a seizure wearing a mask it won't end well.

VioletCharlotte · 04/07/2020 11:13

But it’s ok, if one of my team tests positive for CV, then the rest of us don’t need to SI for 14 days as we have been wearing masks.

That's not correct unfortunately. If you've been in close contact
for more than 15 minutes with someone who tests positive, then you still would need to self-isolate, mask or no mask. You'd only be exempt if you were wearing full PPE.

TroysMammy · 04/07/2020 11:16

The hairs in your nostrils are also there for a purpose. I was not giving a biology lesson, I failed my O'level, but just to point out that not having a face mask covering your nose means you could potentially breathe in all sorts of nasties.

TroysMammy · 04/07/2020 11:24

Iwalkinmyclothing no I don't but there's a gap that allows air out and as I talk too much my gob is always open, sometimes I talk so much I don't even come up for air.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 04/07/2020 11:26

[quote TheHighestSardine]**@HereForYou2020* I often see people in a car on their own driving along with a mask on...why?*

Because you don't want to touch the mask after it's been put on, unless you can wash your hands after each time. If you're going to two places where you need to mask, it stays on between times. Same for the walkers, who are even less likely to be able to wash their hands.[/quote]
Tbf I, like most people, probably have hand sanitiser with me so could clean my hands each time. But it’s a bit of a faff to do it each time and store the mask properly. It’s much easier just to put it on andmake sure it’s fitting properly as I leave the house and take it off when I get back.

mumwon · 04/07/2020 11:58

@PhoneLock
you have discovered why trump doesn't wear a mask - otherwise he would look like a racoon Grin
(yes I know he uses sunbed!)