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?

@DrSbaitso well I'm yet to meet anyone working in the NHS without a mask or visor. And I've had to go to the hospital a number of times during the pandemic. Funny that isn't it?

@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.

People aren't taking issue with people who genuinely can't wear masks. What they are taking issue with is someone who is sitting in a waiting room full of pregnant women, someone who doesn't actually need to be there, putting those people at risk and then being awkward with staff who step in to try to protect those people.

Genuine question though, if you needed to put on a mask to save your life ie you were in a plane and the cabin pressure dropped and you needed to put on an oxygen mask to basically save your life, would you not be able to? Would you actually just suffocate to death as opposed to putting on the mask?

People aren't taking issue with people who genuinely can't wear masks. What they are taking issue with is someone who is sitting in a waiting room full of pregnant women, someone who doesn't actually need to be there, putting those people at risk and then being awkward with staff who step in to try to protect those people.

Thank you, that’s exactly the issue.

@PrimeraVez everyone here seems to claim they are disabled these days or feels it! So many people shared a list of reasons you can declare yourself mask exempt including if you have spots

What exactly did he say/do when asked to wait outside?

@DrSbaitso

What exactly did he say/do when asked to wait outside?

Said it was ridiculous, they were making a fuss for no reason.

Wasn’t aggressive just being a bit entitled.

I have a friend whose kids could be exempt, she spent months working with them, finding a style of mask that would work (home made from a fabric they already have items in and washed but not with washing powder as that was too strong), building mask wearing for short times into their routine, watching mask things, all sorts of things to help them slowly adjust. I did find it interesting how many people who can’t wear any kind of fabric over their face happily wrapped a scarf around their face in winter

Sexnotgender I absolutely would not have kicked up a fuss.

He was very upset!

I bet he was. I also bet he's not exempt, he just doesn't want to. If he was medically exempt he would be more understanding, and his missue would be wearing a mask. She was not.
Anti-mask wanker, fore sure.

@NeedToGetOuttaHere

Sexnotgender I absolutely would not have kicked up a fuss.

I do understand that for genuine reasons some people can’t wear masks.

The hospital were very accommodating though and offered alternatives and to get the nurse down ASAP rather than have the couple wait until their appointment time.

None of this was good enough though.

If you can’t wear a mask that’s ok, but you also need to understand other people have needs/risks too and need to accommodate that.

AwaAnBileYerHeid I think I’d either die from suffocating or from a heart attacking caused by a panic attack if I put the mask on. That’s how bad it is. I’m completely healthy in every other way, I’ve suffered panic attacks in the past but they’ve always been at home and I had it under control.

Of course they wouldn't suffocate to death. Just like if the need for a gas mask arose, they wouldn't think twice about protecting themselves. We've been way too lenient with masks in this country. This nonsense could have been stamped out months ago but as usual people are pandered to.
I suffer panic attacks. I know it's shit. I suck it up and wear a mask or avoid going into places. It's that simple.

The chances that both of them were exempt from wearing a mask is so low anyway. He clearly just didn't give a shit about anyone but himself. Considering there are still women not able to have their partners at the key scans this is really frustrating.

@NeedToGetOuttaHere

AwaAnBileYerHeid I think I’d either die from suffocating or from a heart attacking caused by a panic attack if I put the mask on. That’s how bad it is. I’m completely healthy in every other way, I’ve suffered panic attacks in the past but they’ve always been at home and I had it under control.

I mean this kindly, panic attacks do not cause heart attacks, ever. I understand it feels like it could and can be very scary, but it wouldn’t ever cause a heart attack.

@XenoBitch

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

She could sit somewhere else and wait for her appointment away from other people. As he did in the end.

Interesting. We’ve been told that my husband can be a birth partner for me but must wear PPE. Absolutely no exceptions. Weird they don't impose such a rule everywhere in maternity units, particularly waiting rooms. As others have said, someone’s ‘exemption’ (real or made up) doesn’t trump the safety of a room full of vulnerable pregnant women. I agree that there should’ve been a list of locations published where mask wearing is absolutely required, no exceptions.

@secretsnowsquirrel

Interesting. We’ve been told that my husband can be a birth partner for me but must wear PPE. Absolutely no exceptions. Weird they don't impose such a rule everywhere in maternity units, particularly waiting rooms. As others have said, someone’s ‘exemption’ (real or made up) doesn’t trump the safety of a room full of vulnerable pregnant women. I agree that there should’ve been a list of locations published where mask wearing is absolutely required, no exceptions.

I would guess it's because you're likely to be more open to infections during labour, especially if you need a section or other procedure, and he's likely to be around for much longer than if you were having a scan or blood test?

Entitled little sod.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he was also hogging a seat for himself.

@luxxlisbon

The chances that both of them were exempt from wearing a mask is so low anyway. He clearly just didn't give a shit about anyone but himself. Considering there are still women not able to have their partners at the key scans this is really frustrating.

100% this! It's horrific having to go to the hospital and be told your baby has no heartbeat and you are going to miscarry. Having to do this on your own is something that has traumatised me and I will never forget.

People need to get a grip and wear a mask, there are loads of different types of masks available, heck even visors people can wear who 'cant breathe' with a mask on.

I'm currently 8 months pregnant and it's difficult wearing a mask especially in the hot stuffy hospitals wards, but you have to do what you have to do.

I would be absolutely fuming if I saw a man accompanying another woman refused to put a mask or visor on, then made it difficult for the nurses protecting vulnerable pregnant women in this situation. He either needs to grow up or go outside and wait, refusing to wear a mask, visor and being difficult is pathetic and he needs to grow up, he's not a child.

WetWeekends it does feel like it to me and then that makes them much worse.

I struggle to wear a mask for any length of time and I am exempt. I don’t wear one at work as there is no way I could cope all day and my manager has no issue with me not wearing one and knows my reasons.
However if I am just popping in to a shop etc I put one on at the last second and get round as quick as I can. Dd has a hospital appointment next week and I plan on going in wearing a mask, explaining the situation and telling them that we will happily wait outside until the dr is ready to see her, to limit my time wearing a mask and to protect other people because I’m not a twat like that guy.

I'm currently 8 months pregnant and it's difficult wearing a mask especially in the hot stuffy hospitals wards, but you have to do what you have to do

Yup, 37+4 here. Really not a fan of wearing a mask. I do it though.

Midwife was very nice, said she would get the nurse ASAP so they didn’t have to wait

So not only does he refuse to wear a mask, but they also get to jump the queue ahead of those who do comply? That would make my blood boil!

@ProfessionalWeirdo

Midwife was very nice, said she would get the nurse ASAP so they didn’t have to wait

So not only does he refuse to wear a mask, but they also get to jump the queue ahead of those who do comply? That would make my blood boil!

Indeed. She handled it very well given how awkward he was.

@XenoBitch

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

But it wasn't so that's appointees argument. We are talking about a man, who doesn't even need to attend the appointment! Ffs