Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

I wore a facemask doing my shopping today...

362 replies

Justmuddlingalong · 30/04/2020 13:16

Yes, I initially felt self conscious, slightly embarrassed and generally a bit of an arse. However, the sky didn't fall in, nobody pointed and laughed at me and after a few minutes I'd gotten over the initial discomfort.
I know it's not a rule to wear one, but on the list of embarrassing things I've done in my lifetime, it's very near the bottom. 😷

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
LalaLoopy20 · 30/04/2020 14:22

I really don't know where my head is at but I genuinely thought you meant a face mask as in beauty product, even after starting to read your OP Grin...you could possibly take that as meaning wearing protective face masks is not registering as unusual at the moment.....

Looneytune253 · 30/04/2020 14:22

I've just seen a guy wearing one for the supermarket but chatting away on his phone at the same time.

GabsAlot · 30/04/2020 14:23

getting more popular in our local supermarket compared to 5 weeks ago-i dont personally wear one if its compulsory then i will but it seems people wearing at the moment seem to think theyre immune coming right up to you leaning over you for stuff which is obviously wrong

Sparklingplasters · 30/04/2020 14:23

I was hoping that that it was a mid face mask too!

TheLadyAnneNeville · 30/04/2020 14:23

Oh God, I’m totally losing my marbles. When I read the title, I thought “shame on you...wearing an aloe Vera moisturising mask, at Sainsbury’s” 😂

Of course, you mean THAT KIND OF MASK.

Wear it. I really believe that the reason our Govt. has said “you don’t need them” is because they opened the bloody face mask cupboard and there was an out of date pack of Vit C and three dinner lady plastic aprons inside. No face masks.

I think I’ve been “Lockdown-ed” too long.

BillMasen · 30/04/2020 14:24

So many people not getting it

It’s not for your benefit, yes it’s not effective at preventing you getting the virus

It’s to prevent you spreading it. You may have it and not know. The science on this is becoming clearer. Mask wearing can, and probably does, prevent you passing it on.

All these people saying they it’s pointless, it isn’t if you’re thinking of others and not yourself

BillMasen · 30/04/2020 14:25

And to be clear, this is cloth masks. Leave the proper surgical ones for those who need them

schnubbins · 30/04/2020 14:26

Its mandatory for us in Germany now and its horrible.Everyone looks so expressionless and anonymous .Its roasting hot behind the mask and I get claustrophopic wearing it.I really dont know how I am going to manage when it gets hot.What i cannot understand is how I never had a problem wearing them as a nurse all day when working in Isolation or in Theatre.Maybe it was because I was younger (no hot flushes) If this is our future I am going to become a hermit.

PurpleDaisies · 30/04/2020 14:28

All these people saying they it’s pointless, it isn’t if you’re thinking of others and not yourself.

I am thinking of others by observing social distancing. I am doing everything required of me for the benefit of others.

vanillandhoney · 30/04/2020 14:29

I don't wear one and haven't seen anyone around here wear one either, unless they're clearly a care worker/nurse and dressed accordingly.

With the lack of PPE that's going on, imo masks should be reserved for careworkers and keyworkers, not Jane and Joe going to Tesco or going for their daily walk around the block.

ViciousJackdaw · 30/04/2020 14:30

Leave the proper surgical ones for those who need them

Oh FFS, is mask shaming a thing then? There are plenty of surgical masks for sale on Amazon and the NHS lack of them is down to government ineptitude, not the individual.

vanillandhoney · 30/04/2020 14:31

All these people saying they it’s pointless, it isn’t if you’re thinking of others and not yourself

Most people don't wear them correctly and are still touching their masks, their hair, their face. Unless you're wearing and fitting them correctly, changing them frequently and following every other protocol, they're not particularly efficient.

Medical grade masks should be saved for those who need them for their jobs.

MrsDrudge · 30/04/2020 14:32

Yes they may prevent a small amount of transmission IF they are worn correctly, not touched or adjusted whist wearing, removed and disposed of correctly without touching the mask (ie by the ear pieces) and hands washed properly afterwards.
I’ve seen people even wearing them under their chins and pulling over face as they deem fit. Thus touching what may be a contaminated mask and possibly transferring the virus to both face and hands. This is worse than no mask at all.
So masks used correctly may help. If people don’t use them properly they are potentially worse than useless.

vanillandhoney · 30/04/2020 14:33

I’ve seen people even wearing them under their chins and pulling over face as they deem fit.

Yes! I've seen so many people wander around with them like that and they then pull the mask up when they queue for Tesco (for example), having touched a dirty trolley, their car door, their keys etc. with dirty gloves or dirty hands.

notacooldad · 30/04/2020 14:35

I'll probably get slated for saying this but as a Muslim woman I find it quite funny to see how everyone else is now covering their faces too!
Yeah, its bloody hysterical.
Bit of a difference between covering your face to save yourself or others from infection and wearing one to cover up for cultural reasons.

SadBee · 30/04/2020 14:36

I have always hated my nose so masks becoming the norm is fine by me.

loobyloo1234 · 30/04/2020 14:36

How do people know others are using 'dirty gloves' - I change mine after each shop

zen1 · 30/04/2020 14:36

The funniest thing I’ve seen is people pulling the masks down to have a fag, then pulling them back up again.

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 30/04/2020 14:37

Really nobody takes any notice.

I don’t wear one because I don’t want too but a few do at my local supermarket, they make there choice I make mine. Admittedly the first time I went and people were wearing them it was a bit odd seeing it as in England it’s not something anyone has ever done but I’m use to seeing it now

AudacityOfHope · 30/04/2020 14:38

We've been advised to wear some kind of face covering in Scotland; I just wear one of my running buffs that come up over my nose, then carefully remove it when I get home and stick it right in the washing.

Finding it weird that some on this thread seem quite outraged about them. If it helps to protect us from each other I don't see the issue.

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 30/04/2020 14:39

Yes Zen1 I’ve seen a few at my supermarket doing that pulling the mask down for a smoke. Surely it defeats the purpose of wearing one but hey it’s not me wearing it

Anthilda · 30/04/2020 14:39

I've worn one from the very beginning. I got a few looks at first but now there are more and more wearing them.

Brefugee · 30/04/2020 14:40

OK so all of you saying it's pointless have read the research, right? there is a reason that some countries have made them compulsory in public transport/shops.

Everyone should wear masks in COVID-19 crisis, say Cambridge researchers

the EU CDC isn't so sure but give good info

CDC (in the USA) seem to advise it too

vanillandhoney · 30/04/2020 14:40

How do people know others are using 'dirty gloves' - I change mine after each shop

Because I see people getting out of their cars wearing gloves. They then touch their car doors, their keys, their phone, and then shopping trolley with the same gloves. They then go into the shop and use the same gloves that have touched all those surfaces to touch their food, their cards, money and shopping bags before going back home in the same gloves.

So what's the point in wearing them in the first place?

vanillandhoney · 30/04/2020 14:41

If it helps to protect us from each other I don't see the issue

It's not an issue - people can where what they want, but most people don't wear or dispose of them properly so they lose their effectiveness.