Will you continue to wear a mask when they’re no longer compulsory?

[AngeloMysterioso]

I can’t really decide how I feel about it- as a pregnant woman with a tendency to get a bit sweaty in the face on warm days, I would like not to have to wear one whenever I’m inside a building that isn’t my own home. And I’m double jabbed so not at much risk. But then you’ve got people from SAGE and the BMA saying we should keep wearing them, and I’d imagine they know a bit better than Sajid Javid whose background is in finance.

What do you think?

YABU- I’ll continue to wear a mask
YANBU - I won’t be wearing a mask anymore.

Just had a thought that, seeing as it looks like there'll be a drop in demand, I might buy some of the proper disposable ones that are supposed to be just effective for a few occasions (like theatre booking, tube travel) in next month or two where I will have to be in close proximity to others for extended period.

Nope. I'll keep one in my bag for a little while but it will only be for if required at things like medical appointments. I won't wear it otherwise. I'm looking forward to being free of them.

But it's not just about what SAGE thinks is it? It's about hospitalisation rates, and hte mental health crisis, and children's education, and furlough, and the economy, and vaccinations, and the thousands of other factors which the government have to consider and SAGE don't give any thought to whatsoever.

How is mask-wearing detrimental to things like furlough and the economy and vaccinations? I understand that lockdown is, but don't get how wearing a mask is?

Depends where I am.
On the tube etc- yes
Nipping in a shop for a pint of milk- most likely no.

I do think we may have to continue wearing them in medical settings etc, though, or at least the staff may have to.

In certain circumstances and in certain places yes. It’s proved handy at decreasing seasonal flu.

Nope, DEFINITELY not. Horrible things!

@ClaudiaWankleman

Except in the sense that all of these things will be badly impacted if we breed a vaccine busting variant and go back into hard lockdown for many months while vaccines are tweaked, produced in sufficient quantities and everyone is jabbed again.

A mask won't stop that happening though. We 'bred' (awful terminology - really puts the blame on us rather than acknowledging natural selection which we are completely unable to prevent) variants throughout periods of mask wearing. Some countries which had far less mask wearing don't appear to have given rise to any significant variants.

Actually, the UK has been extremely resistant to mask wearing. In France and Italy for example outdoor mask wearing regulations were only scrapped a few weeks ago. Many EU countries stipulated FFP2 wearing on public transport or in shops (Austria, Bavaria to name just two). And despite the reputation of US anti maskers, numerous US colleagues and friends have expressed surprise and dismay that no one in the UK has been wearing them outdoors, and that Brits are so resistant to them. Even the BBC North America correspondent tweeted about it!

No. Never again.

I'm CEV and immunesuppressed but will still be ditching the mask when it is no longer a legal requirement. Even on public transport.

I've been immunsuppressed for years, during that time we have had colds, seasonal flu, norovirus, bird flu, swine flu.....TB has been in circulation...

I've been 2x vaccinated and so will have many others (more than the usual flu vac) so let's just get on with it.

Obviously not.

No

I will still be wearing one for a while in supermarkets etc.

I may use them in crowded places over winter permanently as I haven't had a cold at all this winter despite being at work and in contact with lots of people through work.

I will certainly use one if I am ill with a cold or similar. I admit I'd always assumed people from China\japan etc wore them for air pollution purposes. However I read a piece at the start of the pandemic saying that this is a western misconception and that they are often worn to protect others from the germs of the wearer as social responsibility is taken seriously.

I know it isn't fashionable to be concerned about others and I remember a thread on here where someone was vehemently proclaiming their right to be selfish and put themselves first where Covid is concerned, but I dont think that accepting one"s position as part of a wider society comes with a degree of responsibility to our fellow humans is particularly a bad thing. I also note with interest that those who are most passionate about the cult of individuality and their own freedoms are usually the most entitled and demanding of others whilst seemingly asking so little from themselves.

I don't know. I will probably intend to (peri-menopausal chin hairs are much easier to cope with if I do!), but gradually I will forget and be less concerned about it each time.

Have stopped wearing them already. Tubes, shops, rail etc

May well wear one during the winter to keep my face warm but for no other reason.

"I think we should all still be wearing them at least until we get 70% vaccinated. "

I'm not willing to wait until some people can be bothered to get vaccinated. In my home city there were drop in vaccination centers open over the weekend. The turn out was poor. I know people who've got vacinnes booked in a couple of weeks. Only because they are starting in home care and the company has made it mandatory. Why should we suffer because they won't put themselves out?

I'll wear mine if I'm around elderly people, someone obviously vulnerable, or when I've got a cough, other than that, no. I'm vulnerable, I was on the sheilding list and I'm happy to take my chances by getting any vaccine/flu top ups, keeping my weight down and suppliments. I'll be taking vitamin D from October. We just need to go back to hand washing and sanitiser.

I hate mask wearing and could be exempt due to my asthma however I have always worn one...it's not a big issue and it shows respect at a minimum. I've always felt it protected me as well as others.
I'll wear one on public transport, in shops and supermarkets and other areas where it feels too busy. I'm double vaxxed.

Aye, I will carry on wearing one and don't give a monkey's if I look daft.
The DATA is showing numbers in our area are rising again and the pop up vax centre solution isn't doing anything for the low take up.

I’ll be using one on public transport and in work, if I’m told to. In Wales, so unsure of our restrictions, as yet.

indoors/close proximity/large numbers of people - yes. shops/Supermarkets, public transport, cafes while queuing.

I will certainly use one if I am ill with a cold or similar. I admit I'd always assumed people from China\japan etc wore them for air pollution purposes. However I read a piece at the start of the pandemic saying that this is a western misconception and that they are often worn to protect others from the germs of the wearer as social responsibility is taken seriously

In China, it was usually just for air pollution. People merrily cough, sneeze or shoot snot rockets without much concern for those around them (if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m referring to).

In Japan, it could be for an active illness or allergies. But previously, no healthy person would be assumed to wear it as a precaution.

In crowds probably but then I don’t go out much.

751 votes and it's 50/50!

I'm hugely sympathetic to those who are extremely vulnerable and can't vaccinate, and I'll do my best to socially distance and visit places where it's well ventilated.

But I absolutely hate wearing a mask. I am physically capable most of the time of wearing one, although I have health conditions which mean I can be exempt. I wear one because it's compulsory, because society expects me to wear one, and because all the advice with everything considered, says wearing one is better than not. When that is no longer the case, I will take mine off and genuinely be grateful if I never have to wear one again.

I absolutely despise it.

No.

I'll be stopping the moment it's no longer legally required.

Probably I’m some settings to protect others really. Double jabbed and just recovering from Covid and it’s been awful.

Actually, the UK has been extremely resistant to mask wearing. In France and Italy for example outdoor mask wearing regulations were only scrapped a few weeks ago. Many EU countries stipulated FFP2 wearing on public transport or in shops (Austria, Bavaria to name just two). And despite the reputation of US anti maskers, numerous US colleagues and friends have expressed surprise and dismay that no one in the UK has been wearing them outdoors, and that Brits are so resistant to them. Even the BBC North America correspondent tweeted about it!

That's quite a lot of anecdotal evidence. There are countries which haven't ever had universal mask laws (Sweden, Russia) which have suffered widespread COVID and not originated notable variants, and countries where masks have been mandatory and variants arose pretty quickly.

I think my point still stands that masks don't prevent variants emerging.