If face masks are made mandatory...

[CathyandHeathcliff]

How long do people suspect they will be needed / kept mandatory?

You would fit into the exemption category.

I have a letter from a consultant psychiatrist saying I cant wear one due to trauma from being suffocated. Plenty of people don't think that's acceptable. I think lack of Government explanation of exemptions etc is not helping. Certainly I don't feel comfortable going out and just won't be shopping.

I hated wearing a mask at first, but I’ve been wearing one in shops for a few weeks & I've now found a style that suits me better than some of the others. I think I’m going to carry on wearing a mask for the foreseeable future (even if I don’t have to)
I don’t judge people not wearing them but I am getting annoyed with people that can’t keep their distance (mask or not)

I’m in Scotland and went shopping in town this morning.

I will tell you right now that the flagship stores in our city centre will be closed by the end of the year if this continues.

So there will come a point where the pressure will be to return it to personal choice or absolutely everything will crash (it’s already not doing great).

I won’t be going shopping round town again until they quit this nonsense. Online shopping will cover everything.

Unless the ultimate plan is to kill physical retail off for good. Which lends itself to the traceable, trackable, cashless society ...

As someone who works face to face with the public, I hope they’re made mandatory - with exceptions for those who need them. I’m grateful that some of those coming into my workplace do wear them.

I wonder if seeing face covers on everyone will undermine my confidence about spending. A constant reminder of the huge economic crisis around me. I don't have enough income to spend money lightly anyway.

Fuck masks.

Nasty ineffectual, virtue signalling pieces of rubbish. They're just pseudo comfort blankets that give people false security. Most are poorly fitting and fiddled around with causing cross contamination.

We've come this far with social distancing which works.

I like being able to breathe.
I like being able to hold two-way communication where you can actually see what people are saying and hear their words.
Masks are problematic for so many reasons.

I’m just not going to go to the shops whilst face masks are compulsory. Jeff Bezo must be loving this.

I like you @BogRollBOGOF

I was thinking about this in the petrol station earlier. Our local huge one has a Greggs and a subway etc. All the workies get their breakfast there.

Queue of about 10 guys. No masks.

Then I thought, even if these guys are forced to wear them, how many of them are going to put on a new disposable mask often? How many are going to boil wash a cloth mask every day?

And why haven’t we been given patronising guidance on these things. What kind of mask to wear, how to wear them, how often to replace or wash?

I’ll tell you why. Because it’s all bollocks!

wearing masks will be part of the new normal weather we like it or not, as for time scale..until an effective vaccine is found which in my opinion is impossible because of how quickly the virus changes and mutates and because of the number of different strains (think there are around 9 at the moment) I really suggest that if you are not wearing one already to start wearing one to get used to it for when it does become mandatory, which is a matter of when not if

@DebLou47

Boris said trey won't be

Boris is very reliable I am learning!

I'd actually be more inclined to go shopping if masks were compulsory. I'm happy to wear a face covering to help stop people getting sick. To me it's not a lot to ask really.

@amitoooldforthisshit so you’re essentially saying you think we’ll be wearing masks forever?

Umm I take it some people haven't seen the evidence from WHO that they reduce transmission rates.
Reading some of the responses on here you would think the government are considering it for no reason.
COVID kills lots of people. Masks reduce its transmission.

I read something about promoting “cultural mask wearing” and how the Far East populations are so comfortable with this it’s now a standard way of life. And that Brits just had to embrace it.

And another little piece of me withered and died.

I can’t imagine doing anything just for fun while wearing one. So I’d wear one to go to the doctors, supermarket etc. if I have to but won’t go to clothes shops, attractions etc. if you have to wear one. I don’t like my baby not being able to see me smile at him and can’t hear people properly when they have one on or make myself understood.

What worries me is how long the requirement will remain in place for. If it’s justified now with so few cases it could be justified on the same basis to prevent infection spreading at any time regardless of whether coronavirus is still around. I can see it being something brought in with no end date, no way to test if it’s making a difference and no clear rule about when the requirement can be lifted.

I know there is some evidence that they help to prevent transmission so can understand the rationale because it seems like an easy thing for the government to do but am surprised at how much I hate wearing one and hate the idea of a society where everyone wears one. I don’t think it’s something I’ll get used to or want to get used to. I think I’d be much more on board if people stopped talking about it being the new normal.

I thought they were so widely worn in Japan, China etc because people were trying to protect themselves from pollution.

I am waiting for some fabric ones to be delivered, I hate the waste of the disposable ones. Where I live they are already tossed around everywhere: what with this, increased wipe and chemical use, more use of single use plastic bags as people think you can get it off shopping, humanity couldn’t make it clearer they don’t give two fucks about the environment. Depressing as fuck.

The people in masks always get way too close to me in shops, as if they're immune.

Idiots.

Until there is a vaccine/effective treatment. If you don’t have a respiratory condition it’s really not a big deal, is it?

I am worried about the long term impact not seeing people’s facial expressions will have on developing children.

I don’t mind wearing one myself but I do worry for people like my mother who are deaf. Not being able to see people’s faces is proving very isolating. Even with hearing aids you rely so much on a combination of lip reading and facial expressions.

So many rebels, We are doomed,

Wear a mask FGS.

What worries me is how long the requirement will remain in place for. If it’s justified now with so few cases it could be justified on the same basis to prevent infection spreading at any time regardless of whether coronavirus is still around. I can see it being something brought in with no end date, no way to test if it’s making a difference and no clear rule about when the requirement can be lifted.

Absolutely this - IF it is bought in there must be some idea of timescales. This is a preventative measure - not a "new" normal

@Lissy23 yes this.

@FizzFan

I thought they were so widely worn in Japan, China etc because people were trying to protect themselves from pollution.

I am waiting for some fabric ones to be delivered, I hate the waste of the disposable ones. Where I live they are already tossed around everywhere: what with this, increased wipe and chemical use, more use of single use plastic bags as people think you can get it off shopping, humanity couldn’t make it clearer they don’t give two fucks about the environment. Depressing as fuck.

Absolutely - a couple of weeks before lockdown was all bamboo cutlery, David Attenborough and reusable straws. Now its plastic gloves thrown down on the floor by the trollies, as much disinfectant and bleach down the drains as we can and disposable antiseptic wipes by the bucket loads. Shows what a fickle lot we are.

@Lissy23

I am worried about the long term impact not seeing people’s facial expressions will have on developing children.

No impact I assume as at home and outside they will see the full face and people's eyes are not obscured.

How many hours in the average day so you spend inside a shop???