Asked to leave for not wearing a mask

[DuchessOfDisaster]

I've just gone to my book group meeting. I'm mask exempt, and have a cold. Not COVID, we test twice a week at work. I was asked to wear a mask and as I didn't have one offered to leave. The other members said they thought that was best.

It's silly but I feel miffed! Even though I think it's the right thing!

My point is simply that I think it's pretty rude to turn up to a gathering at the moment with a cold. I don't want to hang out with someone who has a cold regardless of whether they're wearing a mask, as I can see quite clearly that wearing masks isn't highly protective against infection. I'm in Scotland where numbers are high even though everyone is wearing masks everywhere, so they're clearly not particularly effective.

And no, I'm not usually bothered about catching colds, but right now it potentially means missing work, the faff of PCR testing, maybe buggering up holiday plans etc.

I'm in Scotland where numbers are high even though everyone is wearing masks everywhere, so they're clearly not particularly effective.

Most transmissions will be indoors in private, without masks...

@Lweji

I'm in Scotland where numbers are high even though everyone is wearing masks everywhere, so they're clearly not particularly effective.

Most transmissions will be indoors in private, without masks...

Can you point me in the direction for the evidence of that? I'm curious to read more about it, as I don't understand why numbers are high in Scotland even though we have much more stringent rules around face masks than England. If they were that effective we would surely be seeing a significant difference in infection rates. Or perhaps you're saying that face masks are not making much of a difference because they're not worn in private settings (so while transmission is avoided in schools for example, people are mixing outside of school, which means they get infected anyway)?

And are you suggesting that the OP would have been reasonable in attending a social gathering with a cold, if only she'd worn a mask?

Or perhaps you're saying that face masks are not making much of a difference because they're not worn in private settings (so while transmission is avoided in schools for example, people are mixing outside of school, which means they get infected anyway)?

I thought what I wrote was pretty clear, yes.

So unless we all start wearing them in private, they're a bit pointless?

And it's fine to rock up to a gathering feeling ill as long as you wear the Sacred Mask of Protection?

@LarryVeest

So unless we all start wearing them in private, they're a bit pointless?

No, they're still useful in all situations indoors with poor ventilation. I certainly wear them when visiting people if we can't open windows.

If you look at the graphs, Scotland has been doing much better than England over the last couple of months. Despite schools going back earlier.

@21budgies

If you look at the graphs, Scotland has been doing much better than England over the last couple of months. Despite schools going back earlier.

The spike in cases in September has been attributed to pupils returning to school... Where they are all wearing face masks all the time!

That's quite unusual behaviour. Not to say that you shouldn't do it if that what makes you feel more comfortable! But I don't know anyone at all who is wearing face masks in private social situations, and I really can't imagine that many people would be persuaded to do so.

@LarryVeest

That's quite unusual behaviour. Not to say that you shouldn't do it if that what makes you feel more comfortable! But I don't know anyone at all who is wearing face masks in private social situations, and I really can't imagine that many people would be persuaded to do so.

Your posts are interesting. On one hand you seem to want to associate a rise in cases only with people wearing or not masks in public settings, on the other hand you're saying that hardly anyone wears a mask in private gatherings. Surely, if you think that people don't tend to wear masks in private (like the book club mentioned by the OP), then it immediately follows that despite mask wearing in public, cases will rise because people don't do it in their homes with non-household members. It's quite obvious to me.

It's also obvious that if people didn't assume that the virus is somewhat neutralised in private settings, then the number of infected would be lower.

But, masks don't give 100% protection, particularly if not worn properly. And school pupils will gather without masks.
A small rate of transmission is still expected with mask mandates, but much lower than without.

You've lost me a bit, I'm afraid!

"On one hand you seem to want to associate a rise in cases only with people wearing or not masks in public settings" - no, I don't think so!

"on the other hand you're saying that hardly anyone wears a mask in private gatherings." - yes, that's my experience.

"Surely, if you think that people don't tend to wear masks in private (like the book club mentioned by the OP), then it immediately follows that despite mask wearing in public, cases will rise because people don't do it in their homes with non-household members.
It's quite obvious to me." - yes, I agree!

"It's also obvious that if people didn't assume that the virus is somewhat neutralised in private settings, then the number of infected would be lower." - I don't think people assume the virus is "neutralised" in private settings at all. I think people simply aren't willing to wear face masks in private social gatherings, and are willing to take the risk. I also think that plenty of infections occur between masked people (unless perhaps they're wearing the proper N95 ones).

However, my main point is that if you have a cold, the best thing to do is not hang out with people who don't want your cold, rather than trust in the protective qualities of a surgical mask!

Update on this - nothing to do with masks, really but I've decided to leave the book group. It''s not me taking my bat and ball home because of what happened last Saturday, rather that clarifying what I have felt for a while.

Apart from me and another member, everyone else was already in another 'group' before the book club started and I've always felt on the periphery because I wasn't in that group. That doesn't mean they ostracise me - they don't - or are unkind - they aren't - but the meetings devote about 15 minutes to talking about what we've read and then they all start talking about other things irrelevant and to do with their other group. I just can't join in with that and feel pointless and irritated by it.

If it's a book group, it's a book group and the discussion should be the other way round than it is - chat about other things by all means, but not for 80% of the meeting.

Masks do not come into the equation. If you have a cold you do not go to someone else’s home.

I don't think I am special at all. I do however know that if I have a mask on for longer than ten minutes I start to feel as if I'm suffocating and smothering.“

My asthmatic son feels that way when he has “just” a cold. Unfortunately, he and many like him can’t choose to take off their asthma as you can your mask. They just have to hope they don’t encounter inconsiderate people without masks indoors passing on their “just” colds.

@TheVampiresWife

And nobody's denying being mask exempt means you can't spread Covid.

However, you do need to have Covid to be able to spread it. I'm double jabbed and have had Covid twice (most recently less than two months ago). I'm about to get a third primary dose of vaccine and will get a booster in six months. I do regular LFTs. What are my chances of having it, do you think?

And one more important point: Mask exemption isn't a thing anymore anyway. You can't be exempt from a law which doesn't exist.

What are my chances of having it, do you think?

Pretty high i'd say. You've managed to catch it twice when many have managed to avoid catching it once. You obviously partake in risky behaviours/don't protect yourself adequately.

Kind of like why people get a higher insurance premium after an accident (especially multiple) as they are statistically more likely have have more (repeat their previous mistakes).

What have you learned from catching it twice? How have your behaviours changed to protect yourself from catching it yet again? have they?

If it was simply a question of being asked to leave when, you’re mask exempt, I’d have said it would have unreasonable for them to insist on you wearing a mask - BUT, if you were displaying symptoms of a cold you should have stayed at home. I think the fact that you offered to leave, probably means that you knew that anyway.

@21budgies

If you look at the graphs, Scotland has been doing much better than England over the last couple of months. Despite schools going back earlier.

That's not true. Since July 19th (mask mandate dropped in England), cases, hospitalisations and deaths have been consistently higher in Scotland (as per table).

If you are mask exempt, a business can (and should, IMO) be fined (under the equality act) for refusing you entry.

*What are my chances of having it, do you think?

Pretty high i'd say. You've managed to catch it twice when many have managed to avoid catching it once. You obviously partake in risky behaviours/don't protect yourself adequately.

Kind of like why people get a higher insurance premium after an accident (especially multiple) as they are statistically more likely have have more (repeat their previous mistakes).

What have you learned from catching it twice? How have your behaviours changed to protect yourself from catching it yet again? have they?*

user1471447863. A lot of blanket assumptions in your post. The poster may work in a sector where risk is higher, they may be ECV.

Both myself and my partner are ECV and have had Covid twice, despite shielding carefully from the start of the pandemic. All was fine until my partner went into hospital and was placed on a Covid ward after a false positive LFT (later confirmed by negative PCR). He contracted Covid and passed it on to me. After the last lockdown ended we both received letters from HM government to say that the advice was no longer to shield, due to mass vaccination. We’ve both had Covid again despite being double vaccinated and only going out for essential reasons. It really irritates me when people assume that the only reason people contract Covid is through their own negligence.

What are my chances of having it, do you think?

Pretty high i'd say. You've managed to catch it twice when many have managed to avoid catching it once. You obviously partake in risky behaviours/don't protect yourself adequately.

What a ridiculous, nasty post.

The first time I caught it was early March last year, when little was known about it and there were no restrictions. Testing wasn't available so I'll never have cast iron proof I had it, but I had all the classic symptoms. DD had just come back from visiting her girlfriend in London, and their mutual friends had just returned from China. Her GF also became ill with the same thing. None of us had any clue that it could've been covid at the time.

The last time I had it was late August. I had been nowhere apart from the supermarket, for ten minutes, at a quiet time, for almost a week. DH wfh and hadn't been out of the house for even longer. Thankfully we were both asymptomatic. I'm immunocompromised so I've been very, very careful. I went to Scotland for two days last week - other than that, I've not been further than a mile from my house since March last year. We don't have visitors, we don't visit anyone, we don't socialise with anyone. DH wfh because I'm CV, so he doesn't have to mix with others in an unventilated office or on public transport. We've been to the pub a handful of times, always on quiet afternoons and sat outside, and stayed no longer than an hour. Now, in your esteemed opinion, how am I behaviours 'high risk'?

It's likely that I've caught it twice exactly because I'm immunosuppressed, which means I pick up all bugs far more easily. It's why I have pneumonia jabs every five years and why I'll be having a third primary dose of vaccine plus a booster.

Judging people for catching a virus - particularly immunocompromised people who catch everything going, however careful they are - is utterly ludicrous and you ought to be ashamed for doing so.

@user1471447863

What have you learned from catching it twice? How have your behaviours changed to protect yourself from catching it yet again? have they?

Oh and in response to this -

What I've learned is that because I'm immunocompromised I likely catch covid more easily than the general population, but I knew that already, because my consultant told me so.

No, I haven't changed my behaviours, because the only thing I can do to make myself less vulnerable is never leave the house or stop taking my medication, which will make me unable to walk and likely shorten my life.

HTH!

How bloody rude are you?! I'm sorry if TheVampiresWife felt she had to explain herself in any way to you.

Quoting fail @user1471447863

Nah it's ok @LarryVeest. That poster has shown themselves up for the nasty piece of work they are.

I'm waiting for them to rock up and say something about my mask exemption (for a neurological condition) and maybe even the fact that I mentioned in a previous post that I went to a gig in the summer (low cases, before I started my current medication, LFTs done beforehand and regularly afterwards and sadly not something I'll be able to do again for a good while). They seem weirdly vindictive enough.

I'd love to know what they deem 'high risk', though. Licking people on the bus? Asking strangers to cough on you? @user1495885821 care to elaborate?