to suggest NOT wearing masks, but instead wearing . . .

[Durgasarrow]

the charmingly named Neck Gaitors? They have been my all-purpose solution to the Great Mask Dilemma of 2020. They're washable, lightweight, stylish, useful, versatile, you can wear them as a scarf and pull them up as needed, or as a hairband or even a bracelet if it's too constricting to keep it around your neck. They're cheap to order from Amazon by the half dozen--they have seriously helped me keep my sanity.

They’re great, OP! I have a few buffs for out and about, a virustatic ‘shield’ (buff with a coating), some one use masks for petrol stations etc and a DIY mask for targeted food shopping expeditions.

Buffs by far my favourite. They don’t have to stop anyone else’s germs as I don’t get close enough for them to land on it. They will trap my germs though, for the brief contact of passing within 2m of someone.
I think many people are having trouble with the ‘contract’ of wearing a mask. Wearing something for other people’s safety seems anathema to many on MN

@RufustheRowlingReindeer

We are explicitly supposed to not buy up medical grade masks for our weekly socially-distanced trips to Lidl and to leave the medical grade masks for healthcare staff who are right up close to people who actually have coronavirus

Yes, but plenty of the disposable ones are nit hospital grade, so that's not what they're talking about.

The masks that confuse me are the ones with the 'vents'. Surely they make wearing them for CV completely pointless? (Great for pollution/dust etc).

@OddBoots ha ha massive pants up to your nose

that would fulfil my holy trinity of holding in the flab, holding up the boobs, and hiding my jowls! Oh YES

< has hot flush of middle-aged delight >

@MrsExpo

If they are made of a knitted fabric, won’t they be too porous to have any meaningful effect as a barrier? Try the candle test .... if you can blow out a candle whilst wearing one, you might as well not bother.

Doubled up there’s no way you could blow anything out...

With the buffs though-are they difficult to get on/off whilst touching them as little as possible?

I wear these. I have loads for running so I didn't have to buy any surgical ones (as the gov asked us not to do to keep them for medical staff) and I find them comfier than ones that go behind my ears.

Many of us don't feel the need for any further protection than a working immune system.

@diddl

With the buffs though-are they difficult to get on/off whilst touching them as little as possible?

They need to go over your head... but, you can do it quite easily from the back, so the bit you’ve been breathing on can just be pulled off last.

Many of us don't feel the need for any further protection than a working immune system.
And many of us have a completely fucked immune system, you’re wearing them for us.

The masks that confuse me are the ones with the 'vents'. Surely they make wearing them for CV completely pointless?

It's a one way vent, or at least the ones I've seen are one way.

I bought some of those things to use as hats to cover chemo hair loss. They were way too small and tight.

Yes, but plenty of the disposable ones are nit hospital grade, so that's not what they're talking about.

The masks that confuse me are the ones with the 'vents'. Surely they make wearing them for CV completely pointless? (Great for pollution/dust etc).

Rishi Sunak was photographed in one of those. Apparently the vents mean anyone close to you would get a jet of coronavirus laden exhale.

Luvverly-jubberly.

I'll stick to the ones I made out of multiple layers of outgrown t-shirts. More considerate, I think.

I bought some to give them a try. My face sadly like the rest of me is not symmetrical due to a health issue so the masks with elastic were very uncomfortable.

@Gilead

Many of us don't feel the need for any further protection than a working immune system. And many of us have a completely fucked immune system, you’re wearing them for us.

👏 👏 👏

I am not wearing a mask - I tried and don't get on with them, I have ordered these type (stretchy scarf type thing) and they are arriving today. We have been told to wear a "face covering" and these are classed as such so are fine to use.

We have been told not to wear the medical grade stuff so anything else is going to be pretty ineffective anyway....

In other news, I haven't had any kind of viral illness since March. I'm very hopeful that all this scarf wearing will mean I'll have far fewer colds than usual this winter.

@Zilla1

Keep your sanity? In what way would a surgical or shaped cloth face covering mask jeopardise your sanity?

I have no words for how much I detest masks. They are hot and horrible, and they mean you can't speak to anyone. They are also vile and filthy. And they make your glasses steam up. They are massive, and cover up most of my face (I'm v small). I've been wrapping a scarf round my face, but it keeps falling down - so something like this might be a good idea, OP even better idea is not to make the blasted things compulsory at all, if you want people to carry on going to shops and spending money

cover up most of my face (I'm v small).
Teeny tiny? What size head have you got that your entire face fits into a surgical mask?

This could be good for autistic kids with sensory issues.

My daughter is a nurse and she says my Hygge bands (same thing I think) are fine. I prefer them as they don't risk knocking off my glasses and hearing aids.

hyggebands.com

you’re wearing them for us.

No, I'm really not. I'm wearing a face covering as that is now what the law says.

If a trustworthy person with a proven, easily verifiable track record of integrity came on TV and announced a simple " mask wearing message", most people would abide by the rules.

Sadly there is no such person. So we are all carrying out our own risk assessment every minute of every day. The risk assessment includes physical and mental wellbeing, my safety, the safety of others.

Therefore, people will interpret things differently. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by bragging about mask wearing in my opinion.

“This could be good for autistic kids with sensory issues.”

No, they’re not loose, it’s like wearing a stretchy mask - but there’s more of it.

I have a question.
If face coverings don't protect the wearer from other people's virus laden droplets, how do they prevent ones own virus laden droplets from escaping through them and into the big wide world?

you’re wearing them for us.

Nope, I'm wearing then because Boris wants it to look like he's got it all under control.