Face Masks

[alltheapples]

AIBU to think nearly everyone has stopped wearing them?

At the weekend we visited a local tourist attráction, went swimming, went to the pub, went for a meal out, and went shopping. During this I saw no more than a handful of people wearing a mask?

@Dnaltocs

I’m sad to read so many here are not wearing masks. I’ll continue to wear mine. I care for my fellow folk and did hope they cared for me. There’s an increase in funerals and that can’t be a coincidence. Keep safe and it comes from my heart.

What do you mean there’s an increase in funerals? As in you personally have attended more recently than you’d expect? Because death rates in England at the moment are actually lower than they were in the same period 2015-19, so fewer funerals being held than usual.

Should say I live in Germany and the uk only came off the high risk list a week ago. We have compulsory ffp2 until end of March

@AllThingsServeTheBeam…you know you’re not the only vulnerable person right? There are many who feel very differently and are worried sick. Particularly now that testing is going to be made harder. It’s a pretty ableist attitude to assume everyone who’s vulnerable should keep away from other people because those people aren’t willing to follow a few simple measures to protect other people.

The example of the queen catching Covid and carrying on reminds me of the argument smokers give about that person they know who lived to a hundred and smoked 20 cigs a day while they conveniently forget about all the other people who die early because they smoke.

Wearing a mask is such a minor inconvenience to me in the grand scheme of things if it helps other people feel safer

@Juno22 because mask wearing is to protect other people. If it was for people to protect themselves I wouldn’t care either way. I’m saddened that people don’t seem intrinsically motivated to do something that helps other people

@KeepingAnOpenMind

Covid is over. Now we are worrying about WW3.

Totally agree, I think the risk of being blown up by a nuclear bomb is a bit more immediate than the risk of dying from a bad cold!

[quote Thisgroupneverceasestoamazeme]@AllThingsServeTheBeam…you know you’re not the only vulnerable person right? There are many who feel very differently and are worried sick. Particularly now that testing is going to be made harder. It’s a pretty ableist attitude to assume everyone who’s vulnerable should keep away from other people because those people aren’t willing to follow a few simple measures to protect other people.

The example of the queen catching Covid and carrying on reminds me of the argument smokers give about that person they know who lived to a hundred and smoked 20 cigs a day while they conveniently forget about all the other people who die early because they smoke.

Wearing a mask is such a minor inconvenience to me in the grand scheme of things if it helps other people feel safer[/quote]
Right and I was talking about me. I didn't leave the house for 2 weeks. I am triple vaccinated and still got covid. I am no longer wearing a mask or feeling guilty about not doing so. If I leave the house which recently, is not very often, I keep away from people in masks. But I am not wearing one. There are many vunreable people who feel like me too.

Why are you keeping away from people in masks @AllThingsServeTheBeam???

@Thisgroupneverceasestoamazeme

Why are you keeping away from people in masks *@AllThingsServeTheBeam*???

Because they are obviously don't feel safe to be without a mask. So I keep my distance. I don't think mask wearing is catching or anything.

Thisgroup but where does it end? Under your analogy we'd all be wearing masks forever. I'm currently wearing a mask anywhere I go which is indoors as I have a bad cold. I'm trying to be socially responsible. But we can't have everyone wearing masks all the time.

I'm flying overseas at the weekend and I've had an email to say masks are no longer mandatory on the plane. I'll be wearing one as I have a cold, but the person next to me might not be.

I stopped as soon as I could to be honest.
Today Jet2 have announced masks are no longer mandatory on flights or in UK airports.

How or why would you wear in a pub? Remove for every sip? Pubs are packed by me with live bands etc

Very few people wearing them where I live, and those that do are mainly older. I am vulnerable, so still wear one when I go into shops. It might not give me much protection, but anything is betting than nothing.

@EthelTheAardvark

So you want everyone to walk round looking like they’re in an apocalyptic world to protect people from illnesses that are natural and most people have effective immune systems for?

"Most people"? With 6 million deaths from covid alone in two years?

I was referring to colds not covid😂

@AllThingsServeTheBeam hahaha! That makes complete sense and seems like a good idea. I didn’t think of it that way…I was puzzled

@Juno22 tbh I think it would be good if mask wearing continued when people have colds. I studied with a lot of international students and was initially a bit offended when they started wearing masks until they explained they wore it it they were coming down with something or had a cold to protect other people and I did admire the fact that people did it to protect others.

Pre-covid I worked in an office with several immunocompromised people so it was quite normal for us all to use hand sanitizer and work from home if we were feeling under the weather because we didn’t want to make our colleagues ill. This feels like an upscaled version of that to me

Thisgroup I get that. I'm self employed so even before covid I used to use hand gel after travelling on the tube etc because if I am sick I don't get paid. But I don't see how it could ever be enforced. We have to trust people to do it but I don't get stressed when they don't.

If WW3 broke out, fighting on all fronts, threat of nuclear weapons, global economy collapse, you would still get threads on MN moaning about poxy face masks....and how people are wearing them to protect others....

This thread is the most depressing read. Public health messaging has completely failed in England; the mask isn’t to protect you, it’s to reduce the viral shedding and protect those around you.
Covid hasn’t taken a fucking holiday: and by not wearing masks we put other people at risk.
The only exception in providing protection to the individual wearing the mask is the ffp2/3 masks which if they have a decent seal to the face are 95-99% effective.
Honestly, I’ve no clue how we’ve all become so uncaring of the people around us.
(& yes, I’m a dr and yes, I have a masters in public health)

I still wear a mask in public settings but couldn't care less if others do.

But it's appalling how many comments I get from other people. "You don't have to wear those anymore you know" no shit, is my mask wearing somehow bothering you?

@WutheringBites

This thread is the most depressing read. Public health messaging has completely failed in England; the mask isn’t to protect you, it’s to reduce the viral shedding and protect those around you. Covid hasn’t taken a fucking holiday: and by not wearing masks we put *other* people at risk. The only exception in providing protection to the individual wearing the mask is the ffp2/3 masks which if they have a decent seal to the face are 95-99% effective. Honestly, I’ve no clue how we’ve all become so uncaring of the people around us. (& yes, I’m a dr and yes, I have a masters in public health)

Well said WB 👏👏👏

@WutheringBites well said! Thank you

The pandemic is still on. It hasn't hine away cos BJ and the gang say we should use our own judgement in wearing masks. It really makes me laugh to read so many comments here about no legal obligation so no mask wearing.... Is that what we need legal obligations to apply common sense?

I'm not saying wear masks everywhere, but in enclosed spaces it's important to weigh up the risks.

I caught covid after 3 Pfizer vaccines because my son caught it from his barber who was in work whilst ill.

I am at the most protected I could be, but I do still wear masks in small shops or where there's a big crowd. I wear a mask no matter where I am if I'm with my 82 yo mum.

Covid has really shown how selfish British culture is. That's very sad!

Public health messaging has completely failed in England; the mask isn’t to protect you, it’s to reduce the viral shedding and protect those around you.

The messaging didn't fail. If it was about self preservation people would be all over it. The fact it's about other people, many of whom you won't even know, is why do many people don't give a fuck about it or pretend they're exempt

In London about 80% of people are still wearing them indoors / on transport, thank god.

I’ve had covid twice and currently got long covid so I don’t wear one now as my symptoms got worse when I had one on. No requirement so no need. I’m extra careful but I won’t ruin my health for anyone