To ask about the inequalities and economics of face masks?

[Pepperwort]

This is now an extra compulsory expense of life at a time of economic issues for many. I’m wondering how easily most / all people can add this to their bills.

There are also luxury varieties appearing on the market offering increased protection, despite the lack of research on them so far, which conceivably might reduce chances of catching it. I’m wondering about both elements.

I made some out of old socks which do the job, quite a good option for people on lower incomes:

I’ve also heard you can make them out of T-shirts.

I find the single use ones disgusting. I secretly judge anyone wearing them. All this work we've done on recycling and clean energy and now we are using dingle use face asks?!

@OchonAgusOchonO
Please, read these articles, and everyone should read them.
bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577.long
thefreedomarticles.com/hypoxia-blood-clot-connection-study-cdc-who-study/
medium.com/@civitasperegrina/cognitive-dissonance-at-the-end-of-the-pandemic-9d3dcc6bfc99

off to google what my council can provide....

… I made a couple of freebie masks from an old tshirt but can't last more than 20 seconds wearing one. I have no disability that would exempt me beyond the fact that I go into a massive panic. I can't go to the doctor to get an exemption because I can't go in and wait for however long in the surgery. Maybe they can exempt me over the phone....

Anywho - I'd like to try a visor but can't find any, don't know anyone that has one that I could try (& then clean to give back or buy off them) and I refuse to pay £15 that I've seen so far on Amazon to get them. the only free visors I've heard of are those made from a A4 plastic pocket (like sold in stationers) which you can slip on to your glasses. They might work ok - but unfortunately at work the plastic pockets are the glazed type so make it impossible to see - you slip the arms of your glasses thru the punched holes and put your glasses on - the plastic covers from the top of your glasses down to your chin.

I've started using some of the thongs that I no longer wear, seems a waste to just chuck them away. Gov said you can use anything, DP wore one in Waitrose and got some funny looks

But the more expensive ones are generally just nicer patterns or for people buying lots of colours that they enjoy / to coordinate with clothes. I don’t think that’s a great injustice.
I bought a mid range one for about £14. I’m happy with it. It does the same job a tea towel would have done or a collection of 5x £25 masks in Liberty print.

I can't go to the doctor to get an exemption because I can't go in and wait for however long in the surgery. Maybe they can exempt me over the phone.... I don’t believe you need a doctors note. You exempt yourself.

I think they are affordable for almost everyone. I bought mine for £2 but you can make one out of an old sock. I think it's great that masks are being donated to food banks. Hopefully that will cover the small number of families who can't afford to spend £2 per person on a mask.

A lot of this pandemic response comes at a cost - face masks, alcogel, antibacterial wipes, hand soap, sufficient washing facilities / hot water, enough clean uniform each day or sufficient washing provisions etc...there's lots of ways around and cheaper options but you have to have the knowledge and wherewithal and it's not appropriate to assume everyone does.

You don't have to wear a £20 facemask just because they're for sale, any more than you have to use a Vuitton handbag rather than an old second-hand tote bag.

My daughter bought reusable masks for about £2.50 each: not saying that isn't money too, but at least it's less than £20. I admit to having spent about £9 each on some fancy ones to cheer myself up but that was my own choice.

You can buy face shields for a few quid on amazon, I just got them for work. Lots of kind hearted community groups made face masks and donated them to vulnerable/high risk groups.

I read your link @Lunar567 but it sounded like conspiracy theory rubbish. Jog on.

Wear a mask to protect others, it’s not hard.

I’m assuming if @Lunar567 had surgery they don’t care if the doctors and nurses don’t wear scrubs?

Having said that, I think it is important to recognise that there is a cost- since non-compliance affects the whole nation. Imo there is a strong case for free distribution of cheap masks; after all, nobody is particularly upset about the availability of free condoms, are they?

Mine was £5 or so from eBay. It washes well, fits under my glasses so they don't steam up and is much more manageable than those horrific disposable ones.

I know £5 is still a lot for some people, but it's better than £20. You can also make them out of old clothes, pillow cases etc.

@EasyPeasyHappyCheesy

I made one from an old t shirt as per the government's website. All you need is a t shirt and a pair of scissors. No sewing needed. So they don't need to be expensive.

Are families on the poverty line going to have an old t-shirt available to use? No - they will be wearing the old t-shirts.

I got some patchwork squares from hobbycraft, I had 5 for 7 pounds which is enough to make 14 face masks they have some really nice patterns too.

Sorry that last post didn't hang together at all. The first sentence should have been two- and with more bits in them.

@Lunar567 - The BMJ is reputable certainly. However, your reading of the article is flawed. They compare medical grade masks with cloth masks, and, unsurprisingly, medical grade masks offered significantly better protection. They conclude: "However, as a precautionary measure, cloth masks should not be recommended for HCWs, particularly in high-risk situations, and guidelines need to be updated." That is not the same as saying that cloth masks provide less protection than not wearing a face covering. The idea behind face coverings is that if everyone wears them, we will reduce the risk of infection as we are much less likely to infect others if we wear a mask.

Your second article from The Freedom Journal is an excellent example of why some people should not read research articles. They take the results of a 2018 article which conclude a serious hypoxia-blood clot can result from under-oxygenation. They then extrapolate that to state that as masks result in reduced oxygenation (totally untrue and multiple studies show it to be untrue), wearing masks leads to hypoxia-blood clots. Complete and utter nonsense. Mind you, what can we expect from the outlet that also contains an article saying covid tests are being used by the establishment to infect people?

Your third article is again nonsense. Yes, cognitive dissonance is a thing but a blog claiming that if we could only understand the facts as the author does, we would realise that covid is a conspiracy is not exactly overwhelming evidence of anything. The author has distorted facts to fit in with their theory, which is not a particularly helpful approach.

Anyway, if this is the extent of your "research", I think it's safe to conclude you have no scientific background and that your research simply consists of searching for support for your conspiracy theories (cognitive dissonance anyone?).

@OchonAgusOchonO oh dayum

You can buy washable ones for pennies online

Really Table? Could I have the link please?

I would like to point out that we didn't require masks until the 25th of July and very few people were wearing them before the 25th but the number of people admitted to hospital with Covid simptoms is down to single figures in many regions

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/07/06/covid-19-hospital-admissions-in-single-figures-in-most-english-regions/
And theses figures are before masks become mandatory in shops.

So wearing masks now is pointless because the number of people with the virus is tiny.

I do agree that they’re an additional expense that poorer people may struggle with

The other week I took a long distance train, with a train change. My face mask actually broke (one of the ear loops detached) and I asked someone at the station what to do before taking the 2nd train. They directed me to a vending machine where the prices were like £10 for one bog standard disposable surgical mask

@Lunar567

I would like to point out that we didn't require masks until the 25th of July and very few people were wearing them before the 25th but the number of people admitted to hospital with Covid simptoms is down to single figures in many regions

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/07/06/covid-19-hospital-admissions-in-single-figures-in-most-english-regions/
And theses figures are before masks become mandatory in shops.

So wearing masks now is pointless because the number of people with the virus is tiny.

I don't care what you say or how many links you post. No exemption? Wear a mask or stay in your own home away from other people.

@Wannakisstheteacher

I find the single use ones disgusting. I secretly judge anyone wearing them. All this work we've done on recycling and clean energy and now we are using dingle use face asks?!

I do have washable masks but as an asthmatic I unfortunately haven’t really been able to find one that I can breathe comfortably in, so if I know I am going to be wearing it for a while I will wear a disposable one.

But never mind, you just continue to judge away, I am so fucking sick of the pure nastiness and people acting superior.