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?

Entitled arsehole.
Bit convenient that they BOTH couldn't wear a mask.

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.

it's not as strict as that here, but where masks are needed i haven't seen anyone not wearing one.

I often wonder how all the 'I can't wear a small bit of material over my face' exempt people would have managed in the war when your gas mask was a bloody great rubber thing, not a layer of cotton? I would genuinely like to know.

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

Did you read the story about the girl who has a phobia of bodily fluids getting a job at a gym? "They" promised her when she got the job she wouldn't have to deal with sweat etc forgot to communicate it appropriately and she was instructed to remove sweaty towels from the floor she got compensation for it I believe a lot of people wonder why she wanted to work in the gym considering people sweat in there 🤷‍♀️ but who knows why people do things

Oh god I'm dreading this when I get to the third trimester and start having more appointments and the stay to have the baby. It's scary being so vulnerable to covid ( I have gestational diabetes too) and having a life in there to be responsible for. I haven't taken my partner to any appointments, he doesn't need to be there. It's just added risk for all the pregnant women. Although he would have worn a mask if I had brought him, because he's not a twat.

My ex husband refuses to wear a mask claims he is "exempt" he isnt and when I asked him to set a better example for our son he put his mask on to go into shops etc

He also refuses to pick up his dog poo

@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.

I’m afraid you are right that people will be judging you. I agree with you that panic attacks are terrifying because you feel like you can’t breath. So imagine actually not being able to breath due to COVID. Every time you go out without a mask you are putting someone at risk. So yes, I’m afraid it’s not in your imagination- you are being judged. Perhaps seek some therapy to deal with the panic attacks as I don’t think masks are going anywhere for a while, and you are going to miss out on an awful lot if you can’t get out and about.

@Theunamedcat

My ex husband refuses to wear a mask claims he is "exempt" he isnt and when I asked him to set a better example for our son he put his mask on to go into shops etc

He also refuses to pick up his dog poo

I can see why he’s your ex😂

Panic attacks don't cause heart attacks or suffocation. Don't spread dangerous misinformation, the NHS has enough to deal with.

I'm a doctor, but please also see the NHS information page on panic disorder:

"Although panic attacks are frightening, they're not dangerous. An attack will not cause you any physical harm, and it's unlikely you'll be admitted to hospital if you have one"

www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/panic-disorder

They are probably the couple who were flouncing around lidl the other day, mask less, under 40 for sure (closer to 30 at a guess), woman was pregnant - going right up to other shoppers reaching across and grinning like they were enjoying the face we were uncomfortable and staff couldn't do anything but offer a free mask which they refused. Police weren't interested

My post was in response to @NeedToGetOuttaHere

Panic attacks are not dangerous they are just frightening and unpleasant.

Wow. Couldn't have waited outside until she was called in could he, thinking of others (vulnerable pregnant women and unborn babies fgs!) would have been too much trouble for him I suppose.

Makes me so mad, I have PTSD and need counselling and drugs because of my experience of being pregnant in a pandemic and the horrendous birth this led to, my hospital point blank refused to help me or let me have my partner or midwife at appointments with me.

This person doesn't realise how lucky they are to be able to support their partner and this is how they behave. Absolute madness.

@PrimeraVez

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)

This. And why so often is it young men who appear to be 'mask exempt'?

I often wonder how all the 'I can't wear a small bit of material over my face' exempt people would have managed in the war when your gas mask was a bloody great rubber thing, not a layer of cotton? I would genuinely like to know.

I'd probably have put it on, lasted 5 minutes, had a panic attack, pulled it off and cried hysterically for however long it took me to die.

Luckily we are not in a war.

@makesIlaugh

I often wonder how all the 'I can't wear a small bit of material over my face' exempt people would have managed in the war when your gas mask was a bloody great rubber thing, not a layer of cotton? I would genuinely like to know.

Like a lot of hypothetical situations, you don't 100% know what would happen if you were faced with it. It also depends what it is you find distressing about wearing masks. A cloth mask can feel smothering, but one that delivers oxygen helps you breath.

I had a scan at 38 weeks pregnant and was visibly struggling with my breathing lying down with the mask while they took the measurements. I have a constant blocked nose so masks really restrict my breathing.

So much so that the sonagrapher asked me did I want to remove it, she was fine with it.
I declined and kept it on!

Why was her partner at the appointment anyway?! My DH couldn’t attend any appointments (could attend scans).

Why was her partner at the appointment anyway?! My DH couldn’t attend any appointments (could attend scans).

No idea, he said to support her.

Interestingly she said very little, he was doing all the talking.

In my area the pregnant woman wouldn’t be allowed in without a mask. If she truly couldn’t wear one she would have to work with the hospital to make alternate arrangements for her appointment.

I don't get why so many people cant wear masks, I have asthma and I cant see why wearing a mask causes an asthma attack.. not saying that some people might be triggered by wearing a mask and I understand some health conditions would mean a person is exempt.. but honestly the amount of people I see claiming 'exemption' is ridiculous.

It absolutely does not trigger asthma attacks. My mum is asthmatic and wears masks for work (she's a carer) and wherever she needs too, like shopping, appointments etc.

My brother has much more severe asthma than my mum and he works in a ICU ward which has/was/does get converted to a covid ward. When at work all day he has to wear the multiple layers of masks/PPE and he still has not triggered his asthma.

For all these people saying 'im exempt as I have asthma' are making excuses up so it looks like they aren't being idiots and refusing. Anti mask people are just as bad as the anti Vax lot in my opinion.

I am anti-mask generally, having read all the evidence on masks. But I am more than happy to wear one indoors in crowded places, out of an abundance of caution. Even if it makes the pregnant ladies 'feel' safer, surely it is worth it.

@TheGumption

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.

I agree. I'm autistic and asthmatic. I could easily claim mask exemption. But despite suffering with my breathing and anxiety, I wear a mask every time I go in a building because it's really a small price to pay. People think you should be forced to have a medical procedure or lose the right to go anywhere, but hey, masks make you uncomfortable, it's not fair to force people to wear them.

The mask wearers have nothing to worry about. What's the issue?

I agree he shouldn’t be sat in there