To want to know when we can stop wearing face masks?

[ihatefacemasks]

That's about the size of it. I loathe the bastarding things for every possible reason. Obviously I have to wear them because I don't have a reason not to (I could perfectly easily pretend, in order to obtain exemption, though this would seem unfair on the people who genuinely can't wear them). But AIBU to want to know when we will be allowed to stop with this nonsense? Does the R rate have to reach a certain target? Does there have to be a vaccination? WTF will make a difference? Why has nobody given us any indication?

Hang on, chaps. I'm not selfish, because I'm wearing the buggers whenever I go into a shop or shared indoor space. If I were being selfish, I wouldn't wear one. But I still want to know when we can stop!

Nobody knows when we can stop. This is a completely unprecedented time so it’s pointless even trying to guess what will happen

@kittensarecute

I think face coverings are here to stay. Even if the day comes when they aren't mandatory anymore, I think people will still choose to carry on wearing them.

Yeah right.

I get it OP

“ It's a terrible precedent: any ridiculous nonsense could be decreed by the government, with no exit strategy, and we would just have to go along with it.”.

Well no. This is a respiratory disease. It is primarily spread by people breathing on each other. So masks aren’t ‘any ridiculous nonsense’. They are a very sensible measure, backed up by ever increasing amounts of evidence. What ‘ridiculous nonsense’ exactly do you think people would go along with? Why do you think masks are ridiculous nonsense? Is it possible that you are just rather uninformed?

I’m with you OP. There’s no information about what conditions would mean that stopping wearing them is indicated. It’s a Trojan horse for the government decreeing all sorts of behaviour and getting busybodies to police it for them. There’s still no real scientific basis for any of the measures that have been brought in on a knee-jerk basis.

I have not worn one yet. I have not been inside anywhere where I am required to. I have no intention of going anywhere I am required to. Not been a problem for me so far.

@ihatefacemasks

Hang on, chaps. I'm not selfish, because I'm wearing the buggers whenever I go into a shop or shared indoor space. If I were being selfish, I wouldn't wear one. But I still want to know when we can stop!

But how is anyone supposed to able to answer that?? This is a new disease, we still don't fully understand it or its long term impacts. We don't know what's going to happen over the winter. We don't know if there will be a vaccine. Until some of those questions are answered, no-one can tell you. Maybe it will be like Spanish flu where people did wear face masks but it didn't become a norm. Or maybe we will move more towards the east Asian norm of wearing a face mask when you have symptoms of a cold or similar. But right now who knows...

How on earth is the OP selfish? She is wearing a mask FFS. It isn’t selfish to want to have a vague idea of when they will no longer be mandated.
Fucking thought policing. Seems it’s not ok to just wear a mask, you actually have to want to wear one to not be considered selfish.

And fair enough it isn’t a question anyone here can answer. Still doesn’t mean she’s selfish.

‘I’m with you OP. There’s no information about what conditions would mean that stopping wearing them is indicated. It’s a Trojan horse for the government decreeing all sorts of behaviour and getting busybodies to police it for them.’

Can’t believe those shady government bastards have succeeded in their nefarious goal of checks notes getting people to occasionally wear small nose and mouth coverings.

I mean, as conspiracy theories go, it’s pretty shit.

If you think a mask is uncomfortable, try being on a ventilator

YANBU

It’s so weird that people get so passionate about how we shouldn’t complain about them. Masks are awful. Yes, lots of things are worse. But Masks are still crappy.

Nobody has said because at the moment, nobody knows. Maybe we’ll roll out a vaccine programme in the next six months and everyone will be able to carry on as normal, or maybe in two years time we will still be wearing them and it will just feel normal.

I don’t know what kind you’re using but personally I find fabric ones much more comfortable and less sweaty than the disposable medical ones. It might help, if you aren’t using them already!

@malmi

If you think a mask is uncomfortable, try being on a ventilator

Oh, yawn! That tired ol' tripe. You're sedated to fuck to be put on a ventilator, you don't know shit as it's being put in and you're sedated all the time you're on one. My child died on a vent. I think masks are shit. They're uncomfortable and give me panic attacks even though I use them when required. The two are not mutually exclusive.

I went to M&S today.

Didn’t have a mask with me, so sheepishly picked up a multipack, which happened to be kept next to the staff member manning the doors. He said “don’t worry about it, you don’t need one to come in here”. I found it funny how he was blatantly ignoring the guidance think he is just as bored of masks too! Obv I still bought & wore them.

I think we’ll be looking at 2021 for masks to be officially abolished (so we can get through winter). But I reckon shop staff and public transport operators will still be lax at enforcing them

I'm with you as well OP - it's the lack of any indication of a date when it will even be reviewed. I appreciate this is a new situation and nobody knows when it will end or how things will progress, but if there was even a "we'll review the situation every 3 weeks/months" or whatever like there was during lockdown, or the ridiculous nandos chart to show what would need to be in place to relax measures. Instead we're just having to do something which isn't pleasant with no idea of when it will even be reconsidered, or what the situation needs to be before it will be reconsidered.

If you think a mask is uncomfortable, try being on a ventilator

Go and impose this kind of sanctimonious wankery somewhere people aren’t actually wearing a mask or doing what’s being asked of them. Not on threads where the OP is actually wearing the fucking thing.

FFS! What’s the big deal?! You say yourself you have no reason not to wear one. You sound like a total drama queen! Get over yourself.

@PersonaNonGarter

YANBU

It’s so weird that people get so passionate about how we shouldn’t complain about them. Masks are awful. Yes, lots of things are worse. But Masks are still crappy.

👏👏👏

Wow there’s a lot of undeserved comments here.

I would like to know what has to happen for face masks to no longer be mandatory too.

I wear one because it’s the right thing to do, and of course I want to keep others safe. But I also get hot, panic attacks, haven’t found a comfortable mask and just hate the whole thing.

Bored of masks? Ffs I think we are at peak intelligence level sometimes and it’s frightening.

27th June 2021.....

When posters stop mentioning Dominic Cummings in posts because they think it’s original/ relevant/funny.

@malmi

If you think a mask is uncomfortable, try being on a ventilator

I should imagine it's very uncomfortable buying groceries while attached to a ventilator. I don't think it's a trend that will catch on somehow.

I'm expecting us to need to wear them for another year at least. I'm exempt but I've opted to wear them rather than risk confrontation about the issue. But I've found it easier to wear a mask now that I've switched from a basic fabric mask to a moulded pollution mask without a filter, that sits away from the face. Always wear it quite loose (but making sure I cover my nose and mouth) so decent air circulation around the nose and chin allows me to actually breathe when wearing it.