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!

@HoldingTheDoor

I’m surprised by the responses on here. I’m sure pre-Covid no one would have thought it reasonable to tell someone to stay away from everyone because of a cold, except if you were visiting a new born maybe. Times have changed.

I wouldn't have attended a hobby with a cold pre-Covid no, and I'm not at all anxious about Covid. It just seems like basic hygiene/manners.That may be because I have asthma and colds affect me severely though.

I'm really surprised by that, do you work, would you be off for a cold?

I don't think anyone at my work would have gone on the sick for a cold, that's not normal pre-pandemic behaviour is it? Goodness, I'd never be there

You shouldn't have been attending an indoor group where you'd be sitting alongside each other when you've a cold (even while wearing a mask), if I catch a cold and have symptoms I will have to stay off work until I have a clear covid test result, if any of those attending the group pass that cold to a child in creche they will have to arrange alternative childcare/stay home from work while still paying the creche. You shouldn't be out spreading your germs unless an absolute necessity.

I've never known anyone take sick leave due to a cold?

I do. They absolutely floor me, worse than Covid did.

@Rosesareyellow

I’m surprised by the responses on here. I’m sure pre-Covid no one would have thought it reasonable to tell someone to stay away from everyone because of a cold, except if you were visiting a new born maybe. Times have changed.

Yes but we are still in the middle of a pandemic with high rates of infection (and going up). There has been many cases in people doing LFT/PCR for a cold that came up negative for 5~9 days and then can whack positive. So tow LFT don’t mean a lot really.

And there are some nasty colds going round atm, unrelated to covid.

I think it’s fair that people are more careful than they were tbh.

@Rosesareyellow

I’m surprised by the responses on here. I’m sure pre-Covid no one would have thought it reasonable to tell someone to stay away from everyone because of a cold, except if you were visiting a new born maybe. Times have changed.

I'm concerned about catching a cold, not because having a cold bothers me, that's just one of those things, but the utter ball-ache of having to test and isolate until results if I, or family members, get covid symptoms with it. I'm fortunate that I can work from home so won't lose money which isn't the case for everyone but my kids can't afford losing more education, especially the one who is in an exam year.

Why are you miffed if you offered to leave?

Was it one of those situations where you hoped everyone would say "no, please stay" and now you're cross with them for agreeing with your own suggestion that you should leave?

I work in a school, if children were absent every time they had a runny nose no one would be in class!

Have you not heard about the 'supercold' going around, due to everyone's immunity wanning during lockdown? I don't want it if I can avoid it. You were being selfish.

Even before covid I would say if you are infectious and visibly ill you should stay home. Whether or not you are able to wear a mask isn’t the point, I wouldn’t want to sit next to an ill person in a mask either - you’d be constantly taking it off to blow you nose etc. Yuck. Obviously in a hospital waiting room or something it can’t always be helped but a book group is a completely non essential activity. I think you are being utterly ridiculous.

But if people catch it and develop a cough or temperature (which can happen with a cold), they have to then isolate and test etc.

As opposed to making someone else stay home for days because just because they have a cold - doesn’t seem fair to me. And by your logic getting a test is pointless if you then expect someone to stay away from everyone anyway as long as you have cold symptoms.

if any of those attending the group pass that cold to a child in creche they will have to arrange alternative childcare/stay home from work while still paying the creche. You shouldn't be out spreading your germs unless an absolute necessity.

is this legislation?

I caught a really bad cold a few weeks ago. I was so poorly I had to have a few days off work which was a stressful, it then developed into a cough so I had to get a PCR which was delayed coming back. So all in all I ended up isolating for longer than I would if I had Covid in the first place.

During a pandemic a cold has much bigger implications. YABVVU.

You might as well have walked in and said "Hey, I tested negative for COVID, but you can have my cold if you want".

@ronkey

I work in a school, if children were absent every time they had a runny nose no one would be in class!

The issue here is the total lack of protection in schools.

After all, BJ told us to take all the measures we thought necessary to protect ourselves.
It was a book club. People are protecting themselves, like other professions do. It’s ok.

I wouldn’t have gone with a cold and put them in that position.

@HoldingTheDoor well yes if very ill but a mild cold?

Do you think part of this came from the others having low tolerance for “mask exempt”?

I know plenty of genuine reasons for not being able to wear one.

But honestly, the only person I know who says they’re “mask exempt” is a total attention seeker who I could have told you wouldn’t possibly be able to wear a mask, way back in 2019 when we’d never heard of Covid 🤷🏻‍♀️ This is the anecdotal experience from friends too. And back when they were mandatory, it often seemed to be groups of people without masks - I’d see a family out and think, “oh look - husband and wife, both can’t wear a mask - what are the odds?”

It’s a crying shame for those who do need exemption - but it’s no wonder that tolerance is low.

@ronkey

I work in a school, if children were absent every time they had a runny nose no one would be in class!

That’s true. But education is for the most part a requirement. Going to a book club is not.

You shouldn’t have gone with a cold. My dc had that horrible cold that is doing the rounds and she was quite ill with it. Two weeks later she tested positive for COVID and only had a runny nose!

I've got one just now in fact. I didn't really realise how mild colds generally are for most people until this recent "super cold" which I have, but as miserable as it is, it's just a standard cold for me but it seems to be a severe one for most people.

You weren't asked to leave, you offered. Seems strange to be miffed

You were being unreasonable to attend a book club event while you were ill with anything that can be passed on to someone else. And you offered to leave, they accepted your offer.

It might not be COVID, but nobody wants a cold or flu either.

The one good thing that might come out of this is that we all should be a bit more aware and educated about not exposing other people to colds and flu or D&V bugs.

And many workplaces who can offer working from home options are more open to allowing those with a cold to stay home and work and avoid spreading it to other people. That can only be a good thing for everyone.

And there are some nasty colds going round atm, unrelated to covid.

yes this is the problem of mixing again after all that isolation. Our immune systems must be weaker.

Have you had a PCR test, OP? Maybe get one, 50k people a day are being diagnosed with Covid in the UK daily, perhaps false reassurance provided by LFTs are one of the reasons?

Also; if you’re mask exempt for a physical reason, maybe an in-person book club isn’t the best idea during a pandemic.

@ronkey

if any of those attending the group pass that cold to a child in creche they will have to arrange alternative childcare/stay home from work while still paying the creche. You shouldn't be out spreading your germs unless an absolute necessity.

is this legislation?

It doesn't need to be the law. How about not being selfish.