To think if you can’t wear a mask

[Sexnotgender]

Then you shouldn’t expect to sit in a room full of heavily pregnant women!

Partner of woman in hospital to get a blood test. Wouldn’t wear a mask or visor he was offered.

Midwife was very nice, said she would get the nurse ASAP so they didn’t have to wait but that he couldn’t sit in the waiting room full of pregnant women.

He was very upset!

I fully understand not everyone can wear a mask but surely the hospital has a duty of care to everyone and was sufficiently accommodating?

I agree. He can't sit in a room with vulnerable pregnant women without a mask. It's for their protection as well as his.

Selfish man of course he can't sit in with pregnant women, just because he might be mask "exempt" doesn't mean he is entitled to do as he likes.

What if it was one of the pregnant women who was unable to wear a mask?

@XenoBitch the pregnant woman has to be there for her appointment, non mask wearing partners do not

YANBU, he’s a knob.

I live in a country where it is mandatory to wear a mask every time you step outside your front door and it has been this way for nearly a year.

In all that time, I have never seen a single person who 'can't' wear a mask. Some people seem incapable of wearing them properly, but I've never come across anyone who is flat out exempt/unable. I know there are exceptional cases and I'm not saying there aren't good reasons, but I find it weird that it seems to be such a frequent occurrence in the UK (assuming OP is in the UK)

@XenoBitch

What if it was one of the pregnant women who was unable to wear a mask?

The woman also wasn’t wearing a mask. She was allowed to stay as she was the patient.

Exactly @PrimeraVez the UK is full of selfish entitled pillocks unfortunately (ps I’m British)

Fucks sake. I'm exempt so do sympathise but he wasn't even the patient! Should have waited in the car.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Fucks sake. I'm exempt so do sympathise but he wasn't even the patient! Should have waited in the car.

He argued he was there to support her.

Yes, well some people can't wear a mask it's true, but then you get the ones like my daughter's husband who won't wear a mask 'because it's all rubbish and the impact of the virus is vastly exaggerated', apparently.

People who can't, or won't wear a mask, have to accept that certain places are not accessible to them and a room full of pregnant women is certainly one of those places.

The hospital are in a difficult position. They're not allowed to demand proof of the reason for his exemption and they are not allowed to exclude him if he has a genuine reason for exemption. So we're stuck with cases like this, in the name of equality.

He shouldn't have been allowed in. He isn't a patient.

I am 32weeks and find I am unable to stand and walk for long while wearing a mask - I still wear one it just limits my abilities.

I understand to an extent mask exemption but I do not understand visor exemption. Both should have been asked to wear a visor or wait outside in my opinion, pregnant woman are very vulnerable to this and it's unfair to be so selfish to put others at risk

Both of them totally unable to wear masks. What are the odds, eh.

(Yes, I know there are genuine exemptions, but this is a funny coincidence.)

And yes, of course he shouldn't have been allowed in.

@skirk64

The hospital are in a difficult position. They're not allowed to demand proof of the reason for his exemption and they are not allowed to exclude him if he has a genuine reason for exemption. So we're stuck with cases like this, in the name of equality.

Totally understand this. I’d never expect someone to have to explain why they’re exempt.

I would expect them to understand that they may also need to be accommodating though and wait outside/elsewhere until they can be safely seen.

They both should have been made to wear masks or wait outside. I'd be fuming if there was someone without a mask in the maternity waiting room.

@XenoBitch

What if it was one of the pregnant women who was unable to wear a mask?

Completely different as the pregnant woman needs to be there.

The best thing about being pregnant last year (apart from the baby obviously) was not having to deal with other people's idiot partners in the waiting room.

He should have stayed outside and not been rude to the staff.

Exactly what @PrimeraVez said
I know of plenty of healthcare professionals that laugh at the idea that you can be mask exempt! Funny this hasn't affected anyone in the surgical field for decades. I mean imagine if your operating surgeon was mask exempt?

UK is full of selfish pillocks. Ain't nothing "great" and about GB anymore imo

I’m unable to wear a mask or a visor. These threads do upset me, I’ve hardly left the house because I worry people will think I shouldn’t be out if I can’t wear a mask. My DH and DC tell me I’m imagining people think that but reading these threads I know I’m clearly not imagining it. I’d love to be able to wear them, I can’t even imagine how people can breath wearing one, even thinking about putting one on causes a panic attack. I hyperventilate as soon as one goes on. I’m sure if anyone suffers from panic attacks they will know how terrifying they are. I thought i was totally ‘normal’ and healthy until I put a mask on. I’ve never been able to do things like snorkel, scuba dive or wear really big sunglasses or go in confined spaces but I didn’t really think about it as these things are easy to avoid.

A scarf, a bandana, a snood can all cover nose and mouth. How long for wearing makes an issue.

No-one seemed to have exceptions when I was in Germany last September. The government should have detailed certain places where there are no exceptions, and hospital visitors not being there for treatment themselves should have been one of them.

@Traveller3367

Exactly what *@PrimeraVez* said I know of plenty of healthcare professionals that laugh at the idea that you can be mask exempt! Funny this hasn't affected anyone in the surgical field for decades. I mean imagine if your operating surgeon was mask exempt?

UK is full of selfish pillocks. Ain't nothing "great" and about GB anymore imo

Well to be fair, if you can't wear a mask then you're unlikely to choose surgery as a career option.

Hopefully his partner was mortified by his arguing / ignorance

@NeedToGetOuttaHere

I’m unable to wear a mask or a visor. These threads do upset me, I’ve hardly left the house because I worry people will think I shouldn’t be out if I can’t wear a mask. My DH and DC tell me I’m imagining people think that but reading these threads I know I’m clearly not imagining it. I’d love to be able to wear them, I can’t even imagine how people can breath wearing one, even thinking about putting one on causes a panic attack. I hyperventilate as soon as one goes on. I’m sure if anyone suffers from panic attacks they will know how terrifying they are. I thought i was totally ‘normal’ and healthy until I put a mask on. I’ve never been able to do things like snorkel, scuba dive or wear really big sunglasses or go in confined spaces but I didn’t really think about it as these things are easy to avoid.

But would you have kicked up a fuss or waited politely outside until the nurse who was coming down specially to see you to save you having to wait unnecessarily was there?