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!

You can live your life to the fullest and still choose to wear a mask ffs.

Not read the full thread.
I can’t find an affordable mask. I tried a scarf but it kept sliding and made me prone to fiddling with my face, which we’ve been told to avoid. I tried a home made one and that too made me fiddle. 🤷‍♀️

There's tiny little difference between not wanting to wear a mask and not being able to.

Not wanting, in situations where people will inevitably get close to each other, is selfish.

Be as rebellious as you want. You're still selfish. Congratulations. You're like a toddler.

Not read full thread but because:
There is so little evidence (scientific evidence rather than opinion and anecdote)that cloth masks are significant in helping with infection risk
Surgical masks etc need to be retained for medics / home care workers who need them
Because they are uncomfortable to wear with glasses
I don't want to keep touching my face to clean my glasses when they are constantly fogging up
Most people I have seen wearing masks fiddle with them a lot, don't wear them properly (one man who passes our house regularly wears his as a beard cover mostly), or remove them to talk to their friends (witnessed in Tesco a number of times)

@pigoons , and yet people in the Far East have got used to them and rarely fiddle with them.
It's about getting used to stuff.

For those that are interested here is a balanced article about the effectiveness of masks.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/04/scientists-disagree-over-face-masks-effect-on-covid-19

Hardly conclusive or compelling ...

There's tiny little difference between not wanting to wear a mask and not being able to. wink

Whilst that is true, how you do tell the difference?

Point proven.

The sheer lack of brain cells needed to prefer to possibly die or cause the death of your nearest and dearest rather than temporarily wear a bit of cloth across your face now and again takes some beating.

Congrats on the Darwin Award

@bellinisurge your response shows how little you understand about the respiratory system for starters.
For many wearing a mask will result in urgent hospital treatment. Hence no country has a complete ban and there are exceptions.

The reasons behind a persons choice are irrelevant.
No one should have to justify why they don’t want to wear one.
They aren’t selfish or stupid.

I’m in the bloody group all this is aimed at. You are doing nothing for me, but if it makes you get out of your house and rejoin society so be it. Just if you see someone without a mask, don’t feel like your are entitled to say a thing to them.

Its like reliving the Aids campaign back in the early 80’s and all the stigma.

I'm thinking this more and more.

Because mines not arrived in the post yet despite being dispatched over a week ago.. Royal Mail are sloooow at the moment!

It’s only if you think you’ll be in a scenario where you’ll be less than 2m apart.. arguably though that should cover supermarkets as it’s near impossible to distance all the time!

I find them very uncomfortable but I’ll wear one for a short while if needs be! I noticed RyanAir as saying you’ll need to wear one the entire flight with them if they can get up & running again.. I would not enjoy that at all!

I was the one with the “lergy” back than. The babysitter I had for many years had AIDS. So at school etc was often ostracised. And decades later I can clearly see why. Bad enough having my own health stuff going on. Everyone so quick to act in my interest and faux concern, very few actually bother to ask. And even then, nope your wrong, you have to do, you should do etc.

I’ve just seen this on Twitter.

www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3084779/coronavirus-hamster-research-proof-effectiveness

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.

Actually social interactions like hand shaking are important for our immune systems. We need to make contact with other humans to keep introducing foreign bodies to our systems and keep our immune systems active.

Non medically trained people touch their faces far more often and fiddle with masks when wearing them. I see it all the time in the supermarket and when I'm out and about..

All it does it give the illusion of safety. If that's what it takes for anxious people to step outside their door, then so be it. I don't need one for that.

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.

If we accept that facemasks reduce infectious disease, then there's really no reason ever to not wear masks. I don't accept wearing a mask forever, so therefore I will not wear one now.

At some point people will wake up to the disproportionality of the response to covid19, but I guess it's not today.

@FrothyB

I'm with you. I can't believe how enthusiastic people are about giving up basic rights.

I'm glad to see so many other people standing up against forced face coverings, whether it be from the gov or public peer pressure. I won't be wearing one.

It’s rare we go into supermarkets, clothing stores etc.
Various things make home shopping a lot easier. Has been the case for several years.

For years I have been trying to stay away from people. Work different hours so I’m not travelling at peak times. Regularly wash my hands, and things like eating and walking down the road doesn’t happen. I try and make enough space between others and myself. Get my arse must smell exceptionally nice.

You see for years those with ongoing health problems have been adapting ourselves around everyone else.

Many of us where already in work places quietly trying to stay away from people and get the work done. In return called weird etc because we don’t want you close to us.

There’s constant discussions about hidden disabilities and it should be reasonable for everyone to know about their health issues. You know to see if they are worthy of using the accessibility toilets.

It’s been stated several time’s there are medical reasons why masks cannot be worn. Only to told they are selfish etc.

All us none mask wearers are asking for is some consideration to us. I’m not calling you selfish arseholes for wearing a mask and coming into my space. So why is it okay to be called one for making decisions based on our circumstances when we chose not to wear one?

The "I'm such a free thinker and you are all sheep" stuff is getting really tedious. I suppose we'll have to put up with that for a while too.

I wore a mask today and found I constantly adjusted it.

I work in empty properties so won't be using one for work as there is no need.

Two cyclists wearing surgical masks passed us today on a path in the middle of nowhere! The lack of knowledge of even the most basic biology is terrifying!

Two cyclists wearing surgical masks passed us today on a path in the middle of nowhere! The lack of knowledge of even the most basic biology is terrifying!

I see cyclists in London all the time wearing masks and no helmets. Strange, given the relative risks.

In the specific case of covid possibly the effect of wearing a mask is HUGE.

Somethings never change. Cyclists still on pavements. Not a car on the road. Hardly any people. But we still have to play dodge the cyclist.

At least yours make some effort with the helmet.