To wonder if lack of covid boosters this Autumn is government cost cutting

[Hulabalu]

And if it is cost cutting , isn’t it a short sighted one? The more people get sick the more the cost to /,strain on NHS?

And wouldn’t it be sensible to “run a please be considerate and wear a mask if you have symptoms?” campaign . Not just for Covid but a cold / cough / sore throat ?

Unless they are monitoring sewage etc we don’t actually know that this strain is particularly bad - for all we know millions of people have it asymptotically and it’s just an unlucky minority who have bad enough symptoms to prompt them to test. There aren’t enough people testing regularly even without symptoms to know how much covid is circulating.

Why? Surely it's simple good manners and good sense if you have a virus to try not to infect others?

Indeed. Some might suggest the correlation between mask refusers and self-centred arseholes is strong.

Mask refusers? Who is even wearing them now?

People who have to get on with things while carrying a virus, who are trying to spare other people their infections.

Immune-compromised people.

Me, in crowded places.

Mostly those who have immune suppressed health conditions and their carers/healthcare professionals/nurses and doctors. The kind of people who are at highest risk of transmittable diseases who need to minimise their exposure and who rely on those around them to do the same!

My DH is immuoncompromised due to his cancer and chemotherapy. He wears a mask whenever close to anyone else. Thankfully, most of the people he comes across in health/care settings will put on a mask when they see he's wearing one including staff in radiology, his optician, most staff in the oncology department, his audiologist and even his barber puts on a mask because he knows DH is on chemotherapy. His dental surgery also let him sit in a separate room rather than the main waiting room with other people as they're sympathetic too!

When I see someone out and about wearing a mask, I immediately assume they are immunocompromised rather than just being awkward or weird. Lots of people have genuine reasons for mask wearing and hope that other people around them give them a little more space.