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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think snotty, coughing people should wear masks?

217 replies

RiderofRohan · 14/12/2023 08:39

On the train or other forms of public transport. In waiting rooms etc. People coughing with half-hearted hands held up to their mouths. Blowing their noses with abandon. None of them wearing masks, just shedding their viruses into closed spaces.

Isn't it just common decency, after we went through a global pandemic, to try to protect those around you? It's super normal to wear a mask in parts of Asia if you are unwell to reduce the risk of your germs spreading to your fellow humans.

OP posts:
blondieminx · 15/12/2023 08:37

YANBU

the pure selfishness of going about spluttering sneezing and being gross, not caring they will infect others with their lurgi (colds/noro/covid/whatever)

public transport is particularly grim for this.

people are revolting.

Spaghettieis · 15/12/2023 08:37

YANBU. It’s common decency to avoid spreading your germs around.

People should also carry tissues so that they can blow their noses instead of sniffing all the time. The commute at this time of year is just listening to people sniff for an hour - disgusting.

blondieminx · 15/12/2023 08:41

RoseAndRose · 15/12/2023 07:30

Looking at levels of sick absence, spreading diseases at the levels we are doing know is harming the economy (the government seems hell bent on clamping down on malingerers, without looking at what could be causing an actual rise)

It's in everyone's interests to reduce the burden of sickness on society, the individual and of course the economy.

In Victorian times, the importance of clean water was recognised, and there was huge investment in sewers, water filtration etc.

We also know the importance of clean air.

The ways to clean it are ventilation, filtration, and the much reviled wearing of masks. If people with symptoms wore a mask, then yes it would have a major effect on the burden of sickness on society. (I mean a mask, worn diligently, not a face-covering worn any old how) and that's because of physics and does not need trials.

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Exactly. We need clean air systems on public transport and all public buildings especially schools to reduce the illness burden on everyone

justasking111 · 15/12/2023 08:49

Buy lots of cheap gloves and wear them for shopping trolleys, public transport. I keep them in a drawer in the hall wear once and wash in the winter

Gingerbee · 15/12/2023 08:52

Caerulea · 14/12/2023 10:17

Well my Dr's surgery is currently on emergency only appts, essentially shutdown cos they've all got covid. Definitely think masks in surgeries would be a good idea at the very least

Same at my GP surgery.
I always wear a mask at appointments and at the pharmacy. Both are full of sick people.

Tiffany88 · 15/12/2023 09:28

There's germs literally everywhere wearing a mask won't stop you catching something everything you touch there's literally millions of germs and bacteria

SarahShorty · 15/12/2023 09:31

You know there are trace amounts of faecal matter on people's phones, right? People scroll through internet forums like this one while taking a dump. I'm surprised there hasn't been any major outbreak of E.Coli. Or maybe there has been and nobody has said anything.

Kwazikitten · 15/12/2023 09:35

Your ‘other viruses are available’ comment just cracked me up. It seems like everyone who coughs these days says they have Covid whether they test for it or not. So many people seem to forget we were all catching coughs long before Covid was on the scene. .

TempestTost · 15/12/2023 10:39

RoseAndRose · 15/12/2023 07:52

On the off-chance this is a genuine question, not someone just playing:

You cough in to the mask, of course. That's kind of the whole point.
To blow nose you move mask the minimum for access, and replace immediately

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You know if you are actually working in an environment where it is important to prevent spread of germs with a mask,, if you touch a mask at all once you have it on, you are meant to throw it out, and you need to wash your hands and replace it with a new one. Not from your pocket or purse.

You also need to replacing your fitted mask every two hours or so.

Of the people I still see wearing masks, the ones that are doing so properly are almost zero. Most of these I meet also comment about the loss of the barrier around the counter in my workplace, a totally useless piece of plastic shit, more trash just like the thousands of masks being produced.

WhatsInStoreFor2024 · 15/12/2023 13:41

Are we all still washing our shopping too??

Sofiabella · 15/12/2023 13:45

God no I don't plan on putting one on ever again.

WhatsInStoreFor2024 · 15/12/2023 13:53

I'm not testing either

And no hand sanitizer ...

Spaghettieis · 15/12/2023 14:59

WhatsInStoreFor2024 · 15/12/2023 13:41

Are we all still washing our shopping too??

I never washed my shopping but wasn’t that to stop oneself from catching things? Wearing a mask is the other way round, it’s to stop you from giving things you have to other people.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 15/12/2023 15:16

WhatsInStoreFor2024 · 15/12/2023 13:53

I'm not testing either

And no hand sanitizer ...

I stopped using hand sanitiser ages ago, I got fed up with my skin cracking. We were supposed to sanitise our hands before and after touching anything in the office during Covid and my hands were awful so I used to pretend I was using it and wrap a paper towel around whatever I was touching instead

cornflower21 · 15/12/2023 15:40

WhatsInStoreFor2024 · 15/12/2023 13:41

Are we all still washing our shopping too??

I'm pretty sure some people still do and are pretty pissed off that others are so careless and irresponsible towards their own families.🤣

Katemax82 · 15/12/2023 17:50

when I worked on the checkout at sainsburys there was so much dust underneath them that I was constantly suffering with the sniffles every shift. also handling peoples money/seeing 100s of people breathing over me in the space of a few hours made me always feel like i had a cold. people were always moaning that I shouldnt be serving customers as I was "infecting people". very annoying. Im glad I left and wouldnt want to have to wear a mask

justasking111 · 15/12/2023 19:00

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 15/12/2023 15:16

I stopped using hand sanitiser ages ago, I got fed up with my skin cracking. We were supposed to sanitise our hands before and after touching anything in the office during Covid and my hands were awful so I used to pretend I was using it and wrap a paper towel around whatever I was touching instead

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My grandson in reception his hands cracked and he had raw patches. The teacher was hysterical about using sanitizer.

She took him to the GP who was appalled. So the school were told that the GP had said no more for my grandson. Teacher wasn't happy.

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