Wearing masks everywhere indoors is so depressing

[Sossen]

AIBU to feel frustrated and, at times, a bit upset that I can’t really do anything indoors now, either on my own or with my kids, without wearing a god damn face mask? I’ve just about been able to tolerate wearing them whilst food shopping but that’s because I now take a lot of time to write out a list and meal plan beforehand and I get in and get out, as opposed to before, when I took the time to browse, picked out what I fancied, and maybe tried on some clothes whilst there. I can cope with this ok but what is depressing me is that my ds is desperate to go to a few indoor places like the trampoline park (our local one has strict guidelines in hygiene social distancing and staggering sessions) and I’ll take him but the thought of sitting there for an hour and a half opposite my dh trying to talk to him with a mask on or watching my ds play and he can’t hear me because of the mask, well it fills me with dread. I had a cinema pass which i’ve has for years but I’ve already cancelled It as there is no way I can sit for up to 3 hours with a mask on, it would be unbearable. Every day out we go on that is predominantly outdoors but have some indoor areas I’ll have to remember to take masks with me. If I nip to post a letter, pick up my medication, go into a public car park to get my car after work I have to wear a mask. I expect to be told I’m moaning but I can’t help it. I fully resent the fact that I am being told to cover my face and I have no choice in the matter. Please tell me I’m not the only one.

But @Lockheart the mask does t protect the wearer.

I hate them too op. I’ve always hated anything on my face. I’ve found a buff type better than a mask but it’s still challenging for me and I’m aware i fouter with it even though I’m trying not to. I also have a slight hearing problem and I’m struggling to understand people. Coupled with lack of ability to read facial communication cues, it’s a pretty miserable time for me.

If I genuinely believed it was making a difference it would help but the science is questionable and even if it worked so many people aren’t using them properly or suddenly think they’re invincible if they’re wearing one.

And my worry from the start is we still have no exit strategy for any of this.

I don’t find it a problem. It has to be done so I don’t think too much about it. The more you stress and panic, the hotter they get so try a little zen calm.

@Sossen

See I’ve not looked at the science side of things but I do wonder how effective they are seeing as we weren’t told to wear them back in March. Being told to wear the after the horse has bolted ie after the peak of the virus and numbers are going down doesn’t really make sense to me.

You're entitled to an opinion, but when you admit it's uninformed, it doesn't really make it a great contribution.

'Back in March', we were told to stay at home and only go where necessary. The roads were empty, one person per household was allowed in a shop, only one person at all at a time was allowed in the pharmacy etc. We virtually came into contact with no other people, so that's why the transmission went down

Now, everything is opening and we this seems to be a simple enough action to take to create barriers between us when we want to go to the same places, and the numbers could go back up.

'After the horse has bolted' is ridiculous, as the virus hasn't wiped out all of humanity, with no way of coming back from this. Most of us have been lucky up until now. But with each new risk we take (and there are many more allowed than there were, like your indoor trampolining) we could still catch it and pass it on.

If someone smoked for years but is still alive, does that mean it wouldn't be better to quit now? If you found out a teenager had been having unsafe sex, but escaped unplanned pregnancy so far, would you advocate carrying on as before?

I agree with you. They’re awful. It is actually possible to just get on with wearing them, not complain about it, but still hate it, find it pointless as numbers are going up anyway so they don’t seem to do any good, and avoid as much as possible going places they have to be worn.

@Sossen

See I’ve not looked at the science side of things but I do wonder how effective they are seeing as we weren’t told to wear them back in March. Being told to wear the after the horse has bolted ie after the peak of the virus and numbers are going down doesn’t really make sense to me.

We weren't told to wear them early because the organisation of managing covid transmission in this country has been nothing short of a national disaster. We didn't lock down in time (the experts reckon 20k deaths could have been prevented had we locked down a week to 10 days earlier - the advice was given but not acted on), we allowed mass gatherings (Cheltenham etc), does it really surprise you that another means of effectively reducing transmission was delayed?

It should have been done earlier and would have helped reduce transmission but it can still be of use. There are still cases and the news over the last couple of weeks shows lack of awareness causes upticks in cases (they are just symptomatic cases, if they are rising so to are asymptomatic cases, the people out and about who don't know they infected and therefore contagious). It is imperative that we (those that can) wear masks to keep transmission low and wearing masks no matter how uncomfortable (I am asthmatic and wear one) will keep incidences of cases low.

3 year olds wearing masks is horrendous.

My 4 year old loves her masks and insists on wearing them even though she doesn't have to. I got her some unicorns and LOL surprise ones, she thinks they're super cute. Children spread the virus as well and yes you can get your conspiracy theory edition bingo cards out, but I'd rather not kill grandma.

"But @Lockheart the mask does t protect the wearer."

Yes, I know that @RJnomore1 but if it helps give someone some extra comfort which allows them to get out of the house then I think it's unfair to describe a child wearing a mask as "horrendous".

@Elasticate do you think masks should be a permanent change? Assume you are UK based?, just out of interest!

@TheGreatWave

Why? What if they are immunocompromised or have some other underlying condition, and them wearing a mask gives the parents that little bit more comfort which allows them to take their child out after lockdown?

And that shows exactly how the mask message has been lost.

I KNOW the masks are principally to protect other people.

But if it gives someone some more security then it's unfair to call it horrendous.

I fully resent the fact that I am being told to cover my face and I have no choice in the matter. Please tell me I’m not the only one.

How much did you resent being in lockdown? How much would you resent loved ones being killed or suffering with untold damage for the rest of their lives?
Have some perspective! Masks are there to protect you and your loved ones. Yes, they should've been compulsory from the start. But if no one was going anywhere (as we were supposed to do) then no one would need to wear them.
Yes, wearing them is a pain, but the pain of losing someone is much, much worse.

This is what we do since May

• change your mindset
• try different materials and fits and again
• change your mindset ,

(There really are other things you might get depressed about.)

YABVU

It's August and the weather is great. Why would you want to do indoor activities anyway?

And as for masks - I'm so fed up with people moaning about them.

If everyone wears a mask we all protect each other by default.

However, yesterday we went to do a family activity where we had the rooms to ourselves, and always were going to have them, and aside from the introduction, which was done 3 metres apart, had no interaction with anyone. This activity involved running around and communicating with each other and we had to wear masks at all time. I nearly passed out and the fun was totally sucked out of it. I won't be doing it again whist we are muzzled.

Escape room type place? That's nuts.

I'm in Italy and we've been wearing them since early March.
You do get used to them- honestly. I recommend NOT the homemade or fabric ones if it's hot- initially we couldn't get anything else so had to wear those and they were stifling even in March- it wasn't hot, they just aren't as "user-friendly" IMO.

We don't have to wear them everywhere now, though I can see that being tweaked soon if we aren't very careful as though our rates are still very low, they are creeping up because people have let their guard down and are travelling (most of the new cases are imported)

It's August and the weather is great.

You clearly don't live in Scotland! Nice today. Wettest day ever on Tuesday, Wednesday not much better.

you keep saying why now

because in march the nhs and carers needed them more than us and erm we were in lockdown there was nothing open so why need a mask-yes supermarkets but that was about it-now everything is open more people =more transmission

Make cotton ones.

The government have really done a number on all of us haven’t they

No one was wearing masks for weeks/months as they obviously weren’t that bothered about protecting other people or getting it off someone not wearing them

Now they think it’s OK to be abusive and accuse people not wearing them due to medical exemption of trying to kill them

Not half as depressing and uncomfortable as a ventilator though.

@GabsAlot

you keep saying why now

because in march the nhs and carers needed them more than us and erm we were in lockdown there was nothing open so why need a mask-yes supermarkets but that was about it-now everything is open more people =more transmission

Everything was open as normal in Feb/March. There wasn’t a cloth and elastic shortage then or now.

@Letsleepingdogslie8

Not half as depressing and uncomfortable as a ventilator though.

🙄

@SarahBellam

God, the British really are a bunch of whiney big babies. Suck it up and get on with it. It’s really not that big a deal. If you don’t like the mask you have try a different type. Find something you can cope with and stop whinging.

God, people who whine about people whining are such big babies. Just ignore it and stop whining.

@SockYarn

3 year olds wearing masks is horrendous

Why? Mine jumps up and down with excitement when he gets to wear one “like mummy”. It’s a complete non-issue. Admittedly if he hated it I wouldn’t force it, but he enjoys it so what’s the problem exactly?

For me the ‘horrendous’ thing is I can barely take him anywhere at the moment as I am still too ill with the after effects of this wretched virus. Just a bit of perspective.

Simple solution, just don't wear one. It's a stupid rule and does fuck all apart from give a false sence of security.

If anyone has a problem with me saying that then please post a link with evidence that masking heathly people stops the spread of covid 19.