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Original poster

Why are people not wearing masks?

778 replies

FergusComeLately · 16/05/2020 17:51

I’m queuing inside my local supermarket, I’ve see one other person wearing a mask.

Does it not make sense to just TRY to protect other people and try and keep infection rates down. Even a scarf wound round your face?!

I think they should be compulsory when you are inside. Is it the PPE shortage which is preventing Boris from making it so?

Talk to me about masks!

OP posts:
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Lweji · 17/05/2020 11:01

Other people don’t care about protecting me, so why I should continue putting myself to the discomfort of wearing one to protect them

It does give you some protection, so it's better than not wearing any.
And the more people wear them, the more people will wear them, because it will seem more normal.

PinkyAndTheBrian · 17/05/2020 11:02

I am autistic and asthmatic. I hate wearing masks.
I spent too much time as a child wearing uncomfortable masks due to severe allergies in order to just go for a walk that might take me downwind if horses or cows. I know they’re a massive pain.

However, would I wear one for half an hour in a supermarket to protect other people, even though it’s uncomfortable, yes I would.

Lweji · 17/05/2020 11:03

The experiment is on.
Portugal is reopening and masks are mandatory.
In 2-3 weeks we'll see the result.

acatcalledjohn · 17/05/2020 11:03

Given that many supermarket employees who are exposed to people all day long don't wear masks, what is the point for me? The mask doesn't protect me from them. I go out maybe twice a week to do shopping and even then I go at quiet times just so that the likelihood of me picking up the virus is low.

On the other hand, my parents live abroad in a country where hairdressers have reopened. My DM went in for her appointment (with a mask), found that the staff weren't wearing masks, so walked back out again.

PinkyAndTheBrian · 17/05/2020 11:04

Austria has already shown a great improvement in spread rates after they made masks mandatory.

Lifeisabeach09 · 17/05/2020 11:05

I have seen people in shops, handling trolleys, handling store goods, touching their face or putting their hair back and rubbing their eyes, checking their mobiles, handling goods again....not a glove in sight.... I find it odd.

Gloves won't make a difference as they will have already been contaminated as soon as the wearer touches something with them on. So there is no benefit to wearing them when shopping. You'd be better off taking hand gel with you and gelling frequently throughout the shopping trip if you are that concerned about transmission via touch.

Really though--just handwash before and after with gel once or twice when loading up/unloading the shopping.

HeatherIV · 17/05/2020 11:05

Assuming that everyone has to get it, and risk longterm chronic health issues that are starting to be identified (lung damage, inflammatory issues)

Stop spreading fake news. You're part of the reason people are so hysterical.

canigooutyet · 17/05/2020 11:05

Have a lot of you forgot about the criminal element of wearing masks?

Try walking into a bank or shop wearing a full on ski mask at the moment, they will think your robbing the place 🤣

And what about the abuse none mask wearers will face if it becomes law? The stigma will be horrendous, not that attitudes to others was great in the first place.

PinkyAndTheBrian · 17/05/2020 11:10

Bloody WHO with their scaremongering.

Acknowledging cases of children with multisystem inflammatory symptoms. The fake news bastards.

NoHardSell · 17/05/2020 11:12

Links that use the dailymail as their source are not great either.
Just admit it ... there is no science.
The best was that link earlier, which did admit that, and said, oh well what have we got to lose?
That's about the best there is so far, and it's not good enough for me. Or the WHO.

HeatherIV · 17/05/2020 11:14

Austria has already shown a great improvement in spread rates after they made masks mandatory.

And I have a stone that stop bears coming to my house.

There is no way of knowing if the spread is slower because of the masks. Catch it, bin it, kill it may be just as effective. But they are not doing that - so we can't know if the spread rate would be faster or slower.

The spread may simply be slower because more people have had it and so now have immunity.

I agree that if you're in a confined space like a tube train you shouldn't be coughing and sneezing all over the place - but you could also just cover you mouth with a tissue or cloth when you sneeze /cough.

You can not pass a virus to someone just by walking past them in a shop. You need to transmit bodily fluids.

canigooutyet · 17/05/2020 11:15

If masks have full protection then nhs staff wouldn’t get CV would they?

Parky04 · 17/05/2020 11:16

Most of the people who wear masks are wankers. They invade your space and think they are now immune from the virus because they have some shit material covering their face!

Headunderthecovers · 17/05/2020 11:17

They don't offer full protection (only if full FF3) but if they offer none why do staff wear them at all and the outcry about lack of PPE?

canigooutyet · 17/05/2020 11:19

Its like reliving the Aids campaign back in the early 80’s and all the stigma. Omg I got touched I’ve been infected ridiculousness.

Instead of wearing masks how about sneeze/cough into your arm/elbow. Get far more protection that way.

HeatherIV · 17/05/2020 11:19

I don't know what you're trying to prove with that who article. It says -

Initial hypotheses are that this syndrome may be related to COVID-19 based on initial laboratory testing.

So no definative evidence. And only in Europe and North America. If covid why not in Asia? I also don't trust the WHO. They are not impartial and will push an agenda on behalf of their financiers - they did it with swine flu and could be doing it again for all we know.

TempsPerdu · 17/05/2020 11:19

Given that many supermarket employees who are exposed to people all day long don't wear masks, what is the point for me?

This is interesting. I visit the same supermarket every week. At the start of lockdown, once PPE was issued, most staff were wearing full on face visors, at the very least some sort of mask, and gloves. Over the past couple of weeks that’s completely changed, to the point where the lady who served me yesterday had nothing - no gloves, no mask.

Not sure why - I suspect at least some of the change is because many have concluded it’s simply impractical to wear all day (uncomfortable, makes customer interactions difficult etc). But the change is striking.

PinkyAndTheBrian · 17/05/2020 11:20

If masks have full protection then nhs staff wouldn’t get CV would they?

One of the articles further up pointed out a correlation with hospital workers catching cv and inadequate PPE.

PinkyAndTheBrian · 17/05/2020 11:24

No definitive evidence but a pattern is emerging and needs to be investigated.

This is a new virus. There are no studies beyond a few months at best.

When thalidomide was first prescribed for morning sickness there was no evidence at that time of possible side effects. It took time for patterns to emerge and research to be carried out.

Similar when AIDS was discovered, no one knew any longterm effects. I don’t even think it was called AIDS back then, seem to remember it being referred to as GRID?

Lifeisabeach09 · 17/05/2020 11:29

If masks have full protection then nhs staff wouldn’t get CV would they?

Depends on the mask.

The masks NHS staff generally use are the surgical masks in practice. These don't protect the wearer but can protect the patient from droplets expelled by the HCP when talking at close distance.
FFp3 masks are more likely to protect the HCP but these are not widely used unless in ITU.

Bbq1 · 17/05/2020 11:31

I have 2 cotton ones bought from Ebay but I dont wear them. I did initially but I couldn't cope with how hot and uncomfortable it made me. I couldn't function properly. I may wear it if I was in a crowded place but that won't be happening anytime soon. I've noticed that less and less people are wearing masks and gloves now. At the beginning of this, about every 4th person wore one. Nobody really bothers now. I do wonder at the people out for their daily exercise social distancing and wearing facemasks though. Who do they envisage they will be in close contact with when walking the dog? I still wear gloves while actually shopping but less than I did. I scrub my hands the minute.i get in anyway.

Lifeisabeach09 · 17/05/2020 11:35

They don't offer full protection (only if full FF3) but if they offer none why do staff wear them at all and the outcry about lack of PPE?

When the pandemic hit the UK, there was an outcry for adequate and any PPE (FFp3/N95) which were what WHO and PHE originally recommended for wearing when dealing with covid patients. This was then downgraded by both entities, likely based on resources. The UK does not have enough FFp3 masks. WHO downgraded this because they knew the developed world would buy up all the supply for FFp3 masks leaving the developing world with none. Surgical masks are easier and cheaper to get hold of.

canigooutyet · 17/05/2020 11:38

It was briefly referred to as Grid until around 82/83.

And when it comes to vaccines etc do we have full treatment/vaccines for SARS1?

Lweji · 17/05/2020 11:40

Try walking into a bank or shop wearing a full on ski mask at the moment, they will think your robbing the place

They're mandatory in many places in banks too. It was the subject of a few jokes. Wink