Why don't supermarkets ask everybody who comes in to wear a mask?

[newfunkychicken]

Or am i being thick?

[Weregoingonanadventure]

*wear

[BogRollBOGOF]

NHS staff are in the highest risk environment of prolonged, close contact in poorly ventilated environments. The risk of people infected with C19 is very high. Not quite supermarket shopping!

Motorcyclists wear helmets for their personal safety, it doesn't mean that it's the safest way for a car driver to protect themself.

[BoxOfShapes]

'Where do the rough living guys outside our Sainsbury local get a mask from when they want a sandwich and lots of cider?'

The predicament of rough sleepers is so worrying in general, isn't it. They should have safe housing at the best of times, let alone now when it's vital they have easy access to soap and hot water and a means of socially distancing themselves without others walking past them a couple of feet away all day long. I know in America there are initiatives to provide homeless people with masks (inter alia) and would like to think that would happen here were our guidelines to change.

There are plenty of people who for whatever reason could not or would not wear them. Is this plan for all shops or just large supermarkets? What about other outdoor spaces?

I am no expert, but I think making them compulsory might not work. I wonder whether guidance (rather than a mandate) that wearing homemade masks in public is recommended for all who are able and willing to do this would encourage enough people to make a marked difference. Some people won't be able to, but my guess is the majority will. And some accompanying campaigns about safe use of masks wouldn't be a bad idea.

Then again, we've seen many issues with interpretation of lockdown (eg single parents not allowed to take their child into supermarkets; people wrongly told they can't stop to have a sandwich when out for exercise). I think that the potential for witch hunts of people not wearing masks is a real concern; but if widespread wearing of masks has strong potential to slow the spread (particularly once lockdown is loosened) in my opinion it is worth it on balance.

[TheClitterati]

In other Countries people are compelled to wear masks - such as Italy and South Korea.

I think the main reason we are not being asked to in this country as we don't have them.

If they told everyone to wear a mask then it would lead to more rapid buying of masks, and restrict the amount of masks available for NHS staff and other front line workers.

We just don't have the masks. we probably should all be wearing them for awhile but there is a big supply issue.

[IHaveAMagicBean]

Who would provide these masks? Seeing that even the fucking NHS and nursing homes are struggling to get enough?

How many people do you think go shopping each day at the big 4? Millions?
I really do despair at some posts.

[Alicatz66]

I've got some .. I just haven't worn them and would feel a massive dick for doing so !!! ... if I'm made to wear one I will .. but I've seen people walking around in wide open spaces with them on and just wonder what is the point ! Same with gloves ... I'd rather just wash my hands and practise good hygiene like I always have .

[Russellbrandshair]

Where do you suggest we source them? Considering that frontline nhs don’t have enough?

[UnderTheIroningBoard]

Where are people supposed to get masks from? There are none for medical staff. Online, people are charging £30 for 10.
Far better would be if people were enforcing the one way signs in supermarkets.

[PestymcPestFace]

Medical masks are for medical people, don't even try to buy them.

The idea of fabric face covering for normal people is to prevent transmission by pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people. So research shows that this is about half of the people with Covid19. Not many viruses have previously had this twist.

Where do we get a mask from - make one

Concertina style thestitchingscientist.com/2020/03/how-to-sew-a-face-mask.html

Really adjustable with a pocket for a filter

Can't sew - don't worry there is one for you too www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html

A homemade face mask will provide the wearer with a small amount of protection. The main thing a homemade facemask will do is provide other people with protection from the wearer.

Do you have Coronavirus?
How the fuck would you know, we don't really have a comprehensive testing program in this country.

Assume YOU are the asymptomatic carrier and do your bit to protect others.

[MrsWooster]

Perhaps we need to separate the idea of Ppe: stuff worn by professionals to protect themselves from infected people, and masks: homemade or bought from opportunistic clothes retailers and worn to prevent us huffing our germs out into the world. The latter may not be super-effective but surely fewer infected sneezes floating around is better?

[PestymcPestFace]

Exactly MrsW As our government equivocates, unlike our European neighbours, the British public may end up being the “control group” for the face mask experiment the government has been demanding all along. But do we want to be?

Over 50 other countries believe masks to be a good idea, they may be on to something.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/24/face-masks-mandatory-spread-coronavirus-government

[Savingshoes]

They are not health professionals and do not have any infection control training.
Their opinion on what I wear on my face in their store is just rules for rules sake.
Without concrete evidence and research studies, it's just giving power to perfect strangers with titles.

[CoronaIsShit]

I always wear a mask to the supermarket. Wouldn’t go without one. It doesn’t make me more lax with social distancing or touching my face or anything else, it makes me more aware in fact. We have fabric ones bought when DS wanted to wear them for Tik Tok videos well before the pandemic. As soon as I leave the supermarket, I use hand sanitizer then take it off, put it in a sandwich bag (that I use for my wipes for the trolley) ready to chuck in the washing machine on a hot wash when I get in. Very easy!

I’m aware that it will be offer ME small protection and it’s more to stop spreading it while incubating or asymptomatic but I hope the more people wearing them, the more it will accepted and it will help stop the spread. The first time I wore one I got funny looks and I counted only 3 other people wearing them, a few weeks later and I’d say half of people are now.

They should be mandatory but it looks like as usual we’ll be the last the catch on. We need Matt Hancock to demonstrate how to make homemade ones using a tshirt and plastic bands like that guy in the US did. Probably be the most useful thing he’s done.

[S0upertrooper]

I live in Singapore and it is now compulsory to wear a mask when you are not in your home. The theory is that if you are positive for CV, you are less likely to pass on the virus when wearing a mask.

The govt supplied everyone with a mask before they brought this rule in. They had done extensive testing of a particular group in the community which showed high numbers of positive results with low number of symptoms.

My theory is that making the wearing of masks compulsory, stops a lot of people going out, which conversely will reduce spread.

We have about 12,000 cases (most asymptomatic) and 12 deaths, so much lower than the UK. All these cases have at some point been in hospital or special CV facilities. If we go outside we must go alone, so I can't go for a walk with my husband. We are also not allowed to leave our community and some shopping areas have designated shopping days.

I'm still not convinced about the effectiveness of mask wearing but if I stepped outside without one, I would be deported if caught.

[grumpyfuckerr]

Where do I source them and who will pay for them?

[Bounceyflouncey]

Plenty of people are careless with social distancing anyway, I would rather they wore masks even if it deducted the risk to others by 1%. The government won't recommend them because they don't want to have to do anything to try and provide materials or info campaigns about how to make and properly wear one. But we are special remember, and the science is different here.

[Bounceyflouncey]

Also to the 'there aren't enough', no that's why homemade masks which protect others rather than medical masks which protect the wearer are advised by many countries. You can easily make one with materials from home without the need to sew, or they're easy with a sewing machine, local sewing group here also makes them for free for people who want them, most areas would likely have something similar even for a small cost.

[Caspianberg]

I don't get why the Uk is so anti everything and assumes the government or someone else has to 'pay' or 'supply' everything.

I'm currently living in another country which has now made face masks law within any public place. Nobody has been complaining about where masks come from, or cost, or how can they make. Simply one friday the law was made, and by Monday the new rule was no entry to anywhere without your mouth and nose covered. Everyone has complied, anyone who chooses not to simply can't go in anywhere. Its not rocket science.

The 'masks' don't have to be hospital grade, in fact they aren't supposed to be, and we have been told to try and make our own or source alternatives where possible to avoid the disposable options if we can.

Disposable are given out for free at hospital entrances, and at supermarkets they are €1 each. Many people have bought or made cotton diy versions, which are popping up everywhere for sale, or people make their own using old tshirt etc. You only have to cover mouth and nose in guidelines, so you could wear your pants over your face if you really wanted to. Many are using just a thin buff/scarf or similar.

Yes they are inconvenient. But any reduction in spread is going to allow things to open up sooner.

[YouAndMeAndTheDevilMakesThree]

Realistically though most people in the UK aren't going to sit down and make masks, and there isn't the supply of ready made ones to sell or supply everyone with. The govt knows this.

[Sparklfairy]

Loads of people wearing them when I went to the supermarket the other day. I didn't.

A man wearing one joined the queue behind me outside. And stood less than a foot behind me. As we moved forward he eventually dropped back but he was totally unaware of his surroundings. I nearly said something but didn't bother.

Too many people seem to think their masks are some kind of invisibility cloak to the virus, so they can sweep up and down the aisles, lean over you, touch everything and not buy it, ignore all social distancing Winds me right up.

I'm at the point now where I am careful to wash my hands, and my shopping (never ever thought I would do that), and if I get it, I get it. I'm not going to wear a mask and I'm not going to do anything further than stay at home and the above with washing.

[potter5]

I've just ordered a box of masks from Amazon for £15. Delivery next week. Just in case we are told to start wearing.

[Caspianberg]

You don't have to 'sit down and make masks' though like its some kind of 2 week intensive project. Most people are just looking around their house for what they have space and working with it. A teatowel cut into 3 strips makes a temporary mouth covering for 3 people that can be washed at a high temperature. Takes a pair of scissors only and about 20 seconds. You can hem, sew, or add straps if you have time and resources, or just tie on bandana style if not.

[Mummyoftwo91]

I work for the nhs and have had recent training on this by an infection control nurse. I wear a mask at work, changing PPE in-between patients, I don't wear a mask when I go out as the risk is low. Most people don't know how to use masks properly especially the disposable ones, they are single use only, I've seen people take these off after shopping and pop them back in their handbag to reuse againwhich is not effective, there is a specific way to take them off and put them on and disposing of them. other pp are correct in saying they protect you from spreading the virus, also wearing the same mask for an extended period of time is also useless, the moisture your mouth creates from wearing one can break it down therefore making it useless anyway

[KatherineJaneway]

Where I live those with masks often don't social distance, as if the mask is perfect protection.

[Sostenueto]

Ffs! If you are going to wear a mask it has to fit properly over your nose and mouth with a filter and changed at least every 20 minutes and a full face visor as well to cover your eyes and rest of face.
Instead of all that palaver just go to supermarkets once a week, follow social distancing and the bloody arrows and do not browse! I know exactly what I want before I go in shop. I go in grab what I want and out. I do not linger at till chatting. My one aim is to be in and out as quick as possible. I talk to no one only to say excuse me while they dither about please and thank you or ask them to keep their distance. Wear a mask? Nope, because I could not get one worth wearing as I said first thing. Wash hands, carry sanitizer, clean my own trolley, basket yep. But most of all I do not go out only once a week for shopping and once a day to walk my dog. That is how I keep safe and how I keep others safe.