Why are people not wearing masks?

[FergusComeLately]

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!

Because the UK government have been really ambivalent about recommending that people wear masks.

Be clear:

If you wear gloves properly, you don't have to scrub your hands
If you wash or disinfect your hands, you don't need gloves. It's a waste of resources and more polution

Masks are a good idea, particularly now that people have been allowed out more and are in closer contact in shops and public transport.
But I blame Johnson for the useless and mixed messages he's sending.

Sorry I know it depends on the mask etc. They are the best protection around, but obviously not full protection.

So what are the chances of a bit of material made at home, or even bought is going to do a thing?

Just like the hand gel. Look at how quickly that stuff went flying off shelves. People applying it like suncream. It’s good as an emergency or as a extra barrier for those who cannot wash properly. But on the whole good old soap and water more effective.

Health professionals need the stuff because they are up close and personal. Why are you (general) getting so close that I need protecting from you? Why are you unable to cough/sneeze without the need to spray everyone else?

The wearing of a face covering is recommended when social distancing cannot be maintained. No one is asking you to wear one 24/7, just when necessary. Hot and uncomfortable for 20/30 minutes whilst you shop/sit on public transport? Not the biggest inconvenience in all of this surely?

Too many stinking attitudes, not giving a shit about protecting other people.

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

Surgical masks only protect the patient.
The virus can stay in the air and stick to surfaces and fabrics.
It takes a whole set of measures, including two way masks, visors, coveralls, separate routes, etc to keep health personnel from being infected in a hospital environment where they have to be very close to patients and their airways.

Masks can be a good measure for people to protect each other, and thus themselves, in a normal day to day environment.
It means most cough and sneeze droplets are caught by the masks. It means less virus particles in the air or sticking to clothes and surfaces.

Oh man, I'm dreading them being made compulsory as I don't think I'll be able to leave the house at that point. I keep trying to put one on, but I get a panic attack almost every time. I have this massive issue with feeling like I can't breathe (PTSD stuff) and covering my nose and mouth is a massive massive issue for me.

WHO guidance doesn’t say people should wear masks. Yet more of MN berating others for not complying with their own made up version of the rules. Still at least it’s moved on from policing shopping baskets.

So what happens to those with medical reasons who cannot wear a mask and it becomes compulsory? Those with PTSD? Those with sensory issues etc?

Those with lung problems shouldn’t be wearing them anyway. And for some to wear one it could be a blue light visit to hospital, I would consider that to be very uncomfortable.

Because we've both lost our jobs and every penny counts.

People are charging £5-£6 per mask plus postage and that doesn't stack up against utility bills and food at the moment.

A friend has kindly offered to make us two this weekend though so when those arrive in the post I will be wearing them.

Whether DH will is another matter

Because people who wear them don't observe distancing, they just carry on as normal, thinking they are wearing some kind of Hazmat suit, however it seems to be the men that do this in supermarkets.

And because the ones I bought in case we actually need them for public transport due to having to give up the car because we have no money for it haven't been posted yet.

Because freedom innit. Because we're British, we're special, and we have nothing to learn from other countries with more successful virus suppression rates. Until a few thousand more die and then we do. See also quarantining new arrivals. Also see also banning large events. And social distancing. And lockdown.
Give it a while longer. We'll get there on the whole mask thing eventually just need some more deaths first to be sure we're really sure.

@canigooutyet When I asked that on another thread I was told we'd just have to stay at home if we 'won't wear them anyway'.

That is why the UK has one of worst results of Covid-19 handling.

It's not compulsory so those who don't like it can stay at home, is the other side of that argument

And no, hg299, it isn't why we have one of the worst results.

There was a push to find a vaccine for SARS1, but it fizzled out. Probably because it was less contagious and tended to be more deadly.

I believe there was still research into vaccines for SARS before the current outbreak, but not with any urgency.

I can see that masks would help thwart some transmission.

I don't believe that ask wearers are doing it solely 'for other people', I think it's in the main a psychological aspect for themselves.

I don't feel any safer next to someone wearing a mask than someone not wearing one.

We are the worse because track and trace was started a lot later than other countries.
Other countries also stopped travel to other countries when their numbers increased. Other countries had isolation from incoming travel. We can still fly anywhere we want and walk out of the airport into a taxi and off we go. Jump on a train from London to Scotland, well anywhere really.

I seem to recall the countries that are seeing an actual success based on truthful info, went into complete lockdown. As restrictions were slowly lifted masks were introduced. But is it the mask or simply that they are still socially distancing themselves? Stop shaking hands, stopped the cheek kiss, stopped the hugs etc?

I hope this finally sees the end to those. Hand shaking for starters is grim. I don’t know where your hands have been, keep them to yourselves.

I've started wearing one whilst shopping purely because I think we need to start creating a culture of mask-wearing, for those who can.

I say purely because I think I had the virus two months ago so am v unlikely to be infectious now.

I've started wearing one whilst shopping purely because I think we need to start creating a culture of mask-wearing, for those who can.

this

I also bought a selection of cotton, washable masks online, some plain ones and some cool ones with nice prints.

Some of my neighbours asked me where I bought them and one, who doesn't have the internet, asked me to buy some for her, which I am happy to do.

Buying and wearing cool / fashionable masks is one of the few ways available at the moment to indulge in self expression through consumerism / retail therapy.

While I'm not really a great fan of self-expression via consumerism I think it is a thing that people do by default and if we want people to wear masks we have to appeal to their unconscious acquisitive and narcisistic drives rather than their altruism.

This is made easier by the fact that there are some really nice hand made, reusable masks for sale online.

I do in my little local shop but they don’t seem necessary in the supermarket as its still very distanced round here. The ones who are wearing masks seem to feel invincible and get a lot closer than those who don’t, I have noticed that.

@suduko

But WHO guidance was Public in Masks during Pandemic until Jan 2020 and then the guidance changed for some reason

I understand that in countries where mask wearing is a lot more normal that community transmission of Covid has been a lot lower.

I wear a very basic disposable mask when I visit a supermarket (approx once per week). I intend to buy a couple of the cloth masks from Etsy. I found it very difficult the first time I wore one but have got used to it now. I make a point of tying my hair back to so less likely to touch my face if my hair isn't irritating it.

I don't wear a mask outdoors as I find it quite easy to distance myself, or to stand and face away from the path to let someone past.

I am lucky enough to work from home but i think that if I were to return to the office I would want to wear a mask there too (hence purchasing some reusable masks)

I think that people need to be wary of just pulling a scarf up around their face as it's very easy for the folds to turn over so that what was outside becomes right against your skin.

The UK has become such a snide, nasty place that I honestly don't remember from my younger years. At least, that's how it appears from the various snapshots I see on social media. I'm sure both sides of any of the divides see the opposition as wrong, stupid and unreasonable.

From Brexit onwards, the way we handle those we disagree with has become increasingly hostile, with hysterical shouting or the repetition of mantras, and the willingness to ostracise those of the opposing ideology.

I'm not going to wear a mask. If it's then decreed that I'm not allowed access to a ventilator should I need it, as a few on here seem to think would be an apt punishment for such a transgression, then fair enough. I don't like the idea of masks being normalised, I don't like the massive shift towards fear that has gripped the country in the past couple of months. I don't like how willing people are to conform to a restricted way of life, many of whom seem quite accepting and happy for life not to return to how it was before. What worries me the most, is how willing we seem to be to report and shame those who choose not to conform.

What else would people be willing to accept? A social credit system? "You don't wear a mask and you missed several weeks of clapping for the NHS, so we shall refuse your bank loan".

Perhaps chips inserted into the back of our hands? Contactless payments made easy, and all your data constantly uploaded onto a database, your movements tracked and they ping against any other chip they come within 2m of that aren't registered as being part of the household?

Over the top, fanciful, a crazy imagination perhaps. We're only talking about wearing a mask after all, it's such a small thing that can help others.

I'm probably just a selfish bastard if that's what you need me to be.