Attitudes to face masks

[Vallderama]

I live in an area where there are a lot of Chinese people so around here it is quite common to see people wearing face masks. I have started to do so too this last week. I am fully aware that there is no scientific evidence that it will protect me from Coronavirus and I continue to wash my hands etc. It does however make me feel a bit better psychologically given that I have to keep working and using public transport even though as a lone parent it wouldn't be great if I got I'll. I have also noticed that I don't touch my face when I'm wearing one, which is obviously a benefit.

However I have encountered some strange looks (not so bothered about this) and today in Morrisons I actually had a woman come up to me and scream my face about it.

For context, I'd gone there to get a few bits that weren't available yesterday when I did my shop. I wasn't panic buying, I had around five items in my trolley, no loo roll even because there wasn't any, just things like a box of teabags that I needed and they hadn't had yesterday, a bag of popping corn so that the DC's can make themselves some while watching films as I guess we'll be spending more time indoors.

I queued for at least 45 minutes, just minding my own business, it was all very tense and everyone filling their trollies with all kinds of shit, making comments about how crazy it was to stock up (even though they themselves were clearly stocking up) but I was just waiting it out.

As I was waiting this woman came along shouting about how ridiculous it was even before she saw me and as soon as she did see me got right up close to me and yelled about how my mask wasn't going to protect me. I said ok, thanks and looked straight ahead but she kind of angled her neck around so she wasn't back in my face, screaming at this point, about how the mask made things worse because it trapped moisture, ranting on and on at me. I just kept saying thanks, that's great, I honestly thought she was going to hit me. Then she beetled off and filled her trolley with ready meals, like at least thirty of them, all the time shouting about how I'm fucking stupid etc.

Now obviously she's a bit tapped, but do people wearing masks generally encounter this? Because if so I might rethink but really until today it was one little thing that I didn't think affected anyone else but made me feel better, even if it is a bit daft. I have elderly parents and am stressed about them, we're all stressed, this was like my little stress reliever. And it definitely stops me touching my face. It just made me feel calmer. If this is a common reaction though I may need to rethink.

How are you all with people wearing masks and should I stop?

For all those that were eye rolling the mask wearers and those who found them socially offensive.. yeah... wonders who the dummies are now then aye . People can be so insular in thinking and nit look at the bigger picture. .. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that South Asian countries that have been consistently using them from the start are fairing miles better then western countries. They have much lower death rates and people less people infected. They've not had to close shops or lockdown entire cities or counties.

I am fully aware that there is no scientific evidence that it will protect me from Coronavirus

I haven't read the thread but this was an urban myth/government propaganda predominently started - possibly first abroad? - because they did not have enough personal protective equipment to supply to health care professionals so it was important to limit the public buying it.

Even the early research showed that simple masks (not tightly fitting no valves) reduced your chances of getting it by 2. the better masks reduced your chances of getting it by 78.

Now things have massively moved on and it's clear it's airborne and can be spread in large gatherings - Cheltenham, the 7 people in Iceland who all went to the same football match in the UK.

So yes - wearing a mask is a good thing and don't be fooled into thinking it won't protect you as the evidence has changed. Clearly some masks are better than others but you are better off wearing something than nothing - assuming it's clean and has some filtration capacity.

In Austria they give disposable masks t everyone enetering a supermarket (obligatory( so it's not a world wide shortage for those lower grade ones, it's precisely to stop people who sneeze or cough from spreading any germs.

Experts have always said to only wear a mask if one was ill or infected. Since people can be asymptomatic ie have no symptoms carrying the virus it makes sense really that everyone should be wearing a mask because you just dont know who is infected or wether you have the virus or not. The mask will atleast leesen the spread from aerosol droplets from coughing sneezing and talking.

As long as you get the correct ones of course they work. Why on earth do you think medics are crying out for them?!

Its as if some people are just sheep blindly following propaganda and repeating the mantra that they dont work as they have to convince themselves that they cant possibly have been told the wrong thing and fallen for it.

The UK was totally out of step not acting before it did. We are totally out of step with testing..We are woefully lacking in PPE. Why on earth would anyone see what the rest of the world is doing with masks but still believe them to be useless?

Wake up!

The biggest U-turn I've ever seen in my life. France said it was useless, now the academy of medecine says it should be mandatory...
www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/sante/l-academie-de-medecine-pour-le-port-obligatoire-du-masque-meme-alternatif_2122910.html

I wish I saw more people in the uk wearing them. I see nobody in my village shop wearing them. Haven’t gone in a big supermarket since this started though a friend works in one and estimates well over 50% of customers are wearing masks now.

Masks do work or else why the heck would medics need them.

We should tell all those nurses complaining about having no PPE equipment it doesn't matter anyway.

Depending on the grade of mask and other factors it's not going to shield you forever but I think it's sensible if in a supermarket for 15 mins say. Plus people are asymptomatic so you're protecting others as well as yourself.

If there was a surplus of masks everyone would have them. Reason we don't is there's a shortage and so guidelines were it's not essential.

Randomschoolworker19
That's the one I bought.
CKoRn
All that you said.
I first wore it out to the supermarket 3 weeks ago... the blatant ridicule I recieved was extreme. Wote about it on here I got flamed and dragged for miles on here.Went out yesterday- nobody so much as batted an eye lid. O what a difference 3 weeks has made.

Duces to all those naysayers.

Medics need them because they are close to people. If you stay two metres away from people there is no need. The biggest problem with masks is that people reduce other measures such as social distancing and hand washing and also seem to think it's ok to go outside if you are coughing provided you ahve a mask.

Yes I do worry about people who would otherwise stay at home going out thinking everything is fine or not keeping their distance, washing hands, because they have a mask on.

The US CDC is advocating for homemade masks now.

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

The WHO is still on the fence.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/01/all-uk-hospital-staff-and-patients-should-wear-masks-says-doctors-group

Without a doubt, if there were enough supplies, the UK/WHO would be advocating to wear masks in public.

If all UK hospital staff, GPs, Dentists, carers etc should wear face masks to protect them from CV then shouldn't everyone else? If we have no idea whether someone has or is a carrier of CV then we need to treat everyone as potentially infected.

I do have an N95 respirator mask and I'm not going into a supermarket, pharmacy etc without it because I help a vulnerable person. If that mask and disposable gloves can help minimise the risk then I'm prepared to do that. We need to minimise the potential of catching CV to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed by patients.

If you don't believe they give you any protection at all, that is fine. Don't wear one if you don't want to. I don't think my buying masks from eBay has prevented supply to medical staff. The Govt have said they do not have issues of supply at present - they have the logistical nightmare of distribution.

Well there's reports coming out that 2 meters distance may not be enough and no, everyone who wears a mask doesn't use it as an excuse to get closer.

The reality is people don't know for sure either way, as scientists barely do, so why anyone is so against someone else taking a measure that MAY add extra protection I find v odd.

If you stay two metres away from people there is no need.
That is debatable.

I was getting pretty fed up early on when some experts were banging on about how wearing mask for the general public wouldn't work because people would just fidget and not wear them properly, blah blah blah as if it was some kind of reason to not bother because basically we in the west are too dumb to be taught on how to wear them properly so no point... just like hand washing and social distancing. I think we are more than capable of hand sanitizing washing out hands before wearing a mask and to dispose of them every 4hrs or if they get wet.. like really give us more credit we aren't all un teachable. Masks can't just magically be working for medics and not for ordinary folks right ...common sense.

If all UK hospital staff, GPs, Dentists, carers etc should wear face masks to protect them from CV then shouldn't everyone else?

It's about physical distance. Carers, nurses, GPs, dentists get very close to airways of many, many patients.

And it's about resources. If HCPs get sick and self-isolate, who will look after the public in hospitals, care homes, community?

My sister is a doctor and sent me a link to a youtuber making masks from fabric with lining. Not good enough for hospitals but they help by limiting the amount of times you touch your face and will help you from spreading - remember it can take days before symptoms appear or an infected person may be asymptomatic and never know. Not at all failsafe but it's another layer of protection.

I’m a dentist and wear full PPE all day when I’m working. They don’t really stop you picking up colds and aerosol born viruses but they are great when someone has been eating garlic or has halitosis.
They do offer protection to other staff and patients when I’ve been eating garlic or if I sneeze or cough. But since we can’t actually do our job if the patient wears a mask they don’t protect us.
I think at a later stage in the pandemic they will help reduce the spread when lockdown is relaxed. At the moment we don’t want people with symptoms thinking they can go out if they wear a mask. I think the WHO are right to say they can help but as we know the general public have struggled to understand the basic concept of infection control so far so adding another confusing message won’t help.

I'm in London and I've seen more people wearing them.

I'm in an area that has many international students, and the ones that by appearances are from Eastern Asia often wear masks when out and about (the university is located on a very busy, polluted road), so it's not actually that unusual to see.
Very few "westerners" (well, I've no idea where they're from- look British Caucasian and British-Asian heritage) are wearing them, but some are.

I think many countries are changing their opinions now, look at what has happened in Czechia for instance, and this is one of many articles this week advocating their use.

I'm in London and I've seen more people wearing them

I'm in zone 1, last week I'd say it was about a quarter of people wearing them. This morning I went out, and about 50% of people I saw were masked (including me, for the first time)

When I see people in masks (USA) I always think it is because they are ill. So that might be why you get looks because people are pissed off that a sick person is not isolating.

I'm also in the USA, and a lot of people are wearing them in case they are infected but asymptomatic, so that they are protecting other people.

They're still staying 6 feet apart, washing hands, etc too.