I wore a facemask doing my shopping today...

[Justmuddlingalong]

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. 😷

But @windmill26, people can be infectious without symptoms or be asymptomatic. People on this thread are saying they’re wearing masks to protect others from them not to be protected from other people.

We have to in shops, on public transport, at the doctors etc.
There are available in different 'protection lveles" everywhere - including my football club's fan shop - money goes to a corona charity.

Asvan and Jings - it should work both ways - I've been called a whore by a fellow mother on the playground - she had a little boy.

Do you now think you're exempt from social distancing like the mask-wearers I keep encountering in the supermarket?

OP i wear one in supermarket or any shop ..why not ?

I’ve found mask wearers to be more aware of social distancing if anything.

Masks reduce droplet travel.
The virus is in the droplets.
The point of the mask is to protect other people, particularly if the wearer has a cold or hayfever.
They are not meant to replace all the other rules of social distancing.
Even reducing the amount of virus exhaled is a good thing, as it seems that the level of exposure/quantity of virus is a significant factor in the severity of infection.
Yes, some people don't understand all the above, but many people are wearing masks sensibly.
In SE Asia it is perfectly normal to wear masks outside/on public transport.
I don't know why people get so angry about it.
DH wears a mask and gloves to go to the supermarket, he washes them in detergent, which kills the virus.

Wow. Reading the full thread, there are a bunch of anti-mask people on here. You sound like anti-vaxxers. The research on this is clear. Wearing the masks slow the spread. Even if you're wearing it vaguely correctly, it will definitely slow transmission.

I have a few doctors in the family. They say ‘wear the mask’ it doesn’t protect you like a magic cloak but it bloody well helps.

@Prokupatuscrakedatus what? Your post doesn't make any sense.

I have a few doctors in the family. They say ‘wear the mask’ it doesn’t protect you like a magic cloak but it bloody well helps.

Interesting. None of my doctor friends are wearing them (outside work obviously).

Debates about the effectiveness of masks often assume that the purpose of the mask is to protect the wearer, since this is what all doctors learn about in medical school. Cloth masks are relatively poor (though not entirely ineffective) at this. For 100% protection, the wearer needs a properly fitted medical respirator (such as an N95). But cloth masks, worn by an infected person are highly effective at protecting the people around them. This is known as “source control”. And it is source control that matters in the debate about whether the public should wear masks.

If you have COVID-19 and cough on someone from 8 inches away, wearing a cotton mask will reduce the amount of virus you transmit to that person by 36 times, and is even more effective than a surgical mask. Oddly, the researchers who discovered this fact considered a 36-fold reduction to be “ineffective”. We disagree. It means you’ll transmit only 1/36th the amount of virus you would otherwise have done, decreasing the viral load, which is likely to lead to a lower probability of infection, and fewer symptoms if infected.

The mathematics of transmission
Mathematical modeling by our team, supported by other research (Yan et al. 2019), suggests that if most people wear a mask in public, the transmission rate (“effective R”) can go beneath 1.0, entirely stopping the spread of the disease. The mask doesn’t have to block every single viral particle, but the more particles it blocks, the lower the effective R.

Modelled impact of mask use on reproduction rate
Modelled impact of mask use on reproduction rate
Just how effective mask-wearing is depends on three things illustrated in the diagram: how well the mask blocks the virus (‘efficacy’: horizontal axis), what proportion of the public wear masks (‘adherence’: vertical axis), and the transmission rate of the disease (R0: the black lines on the graph). The blue area of the graph indicates an R0 below 1.0, which is what we need to achieve to wipe out the disease. If the mask blocks 100% of particles (the far right of the graph), even low adherence rates will lead to containment of the disease. Even if masks block a much lower proportion of viral particles, the disease could still be contained – but only if most or all people wear masks.

www.fast.ai/2020/04/13/masks-summary

@StonersPotPalace
Do you now think you're exempt from social distancing like the mask-wearers I keep encountering in the supermarket?

Just because you've encountered a few thickos in your local area doesn't mean everyone is as stupid as your fellow townsfolk.

I have a few doctors in the family. They say ‘wear the mask’ it doesn’t protect you like a magic cloak but it bloody well helps.

Interesting.

My dad was a doctor all his life and doesn't recommend masks as unless everyone wears them correctly, their effectiveness is minimal.

As most members of the public don't know how to correctly fit a mask, or know how to remove and dispose of them safely, then it's a waste of PPE.

@PestymcPestFace Thank you for explaining that so well.

TeaCupDrama I can only speak for myself but I've actually noticed my asthma symptoms improve when I chuck a mask on. Personally I think the improvement is from breathing in warmer air.

That only works for some people who have a lower hearing level. My deaf friends and colleagues are terrified that mask wearing will be come compulsory for the foreseeable future.

Same. If I have to wear one, I will be looking for one with a clear panel and some mechanism for preventing it from steaming up.

It is not recommended in the UK so might increase covid 19 risk but I believe in freedom so let people decide. I am happy to wear one in front of police facial recognition cameras for example.

@PestymcPestFace
Thank you - I copied this and will refer to it when needed.
We have to observe distancing as well as wearing masks.

I hope they don’t become compulsory as I cannot wear one, a fractured skull years ago left me with a very sensitive head - can’t even wear sunglasses.

However, I’ve not seen anyone wear them properly.

Most only cover their mouths so no point in wearing one.

I am feeling a bit dubious about what is recommended in the UK tbh, given how badly we are doing so far in terms of infection and death.

I wear one in shops but not out exercising and have gloves too. I think it reminds me not to touch my face and also to keep my distance from others.

Why are we not told to wear them when so many other countries have made them compulsory? Friends in Dubai said they have to and they have checking stations where they are fined (the fine increases the more time you are caught not wearing one). Is the motive to stop people panic buying the medical ones or health benefit?

@ChasingRainbows19 I am horrified to hear about your mask.
Unfortunately if a mask does not have FFP2 (N95) or FFP3 (N99) printed on it, it is less effective.
From watching TV most NHS workers are issued with either surgical masks (not very effective) or with valved respirators (as in my pic). Valved respirators are great but only protect the wearer, not anyone else.
It is a scandal, its criminal, that the NHS have not been supplied with correct PPE. You should be protected correctly, its the least you should expect!

I was in the queue outside the supermarket today. The lady in front of me fiddled with her mask a dozen times, imbetween touching her trolley and touching her face

She increased her chances of getting the virus and protected absolutely nobody at all

@noavailablename they've recommended it in Scotland I believe. So it's England that may be reluctant at this point. No clue about NI or Wales though.

@vanillandhoney you can wear a mask without it being a surgical mask. Lots of people have been buying and making/selling cloth masks that do a great job. The cloth masks also have the benefit of covering of your face versus the medical surgical masks which I find a bit flimsy looking.

@Deux wearing a mask slow the spread and the sooner they make them compulsive the better. This Government will drag their feet as long as they can on this issue because there are not enough masks available and they are scared of people stockpiling. We use washable masks,we have a few on rotation (they get washed as soon we come home).