Does anyone think masks will become the new normal?

[Chaosreigns123]

Even after the virus is gone/there is a vaccine?

Once we go down this route of masks being widely used in public.

Already we're hearing more and more how if you don't wear a mask you're killing people, selfish, putting others at risk.

Ok right now I think most of us want to see the back of this virus, but I'm no longer sure where the government are going with this. Are we going for elimination in England? Even if we get a vaccine it's likely not everyone will be eligible, or it will be yearly and the virus will still be circulating.

Will people devise masks are a good idea to protect against other viruses?

Thank you

@Drivngdownthe101 - presumably you don’t think we should all be sneezing into our hands, not washing them after going to the loo and coughing on each other, all in the interests of building immunity?

If not, and if you think we should take precautions to prevent the spread of illness, then it’s all just a matter of degree.

You Seem to take a Goldilocks approach of thinking that what we’ve been doing up until now in the UK, including not wearing masks is just right, and that’s that.

Clearly other people, including much of Asia, think we ought to at least be wearing masks when we know we are ill as that is also a necessary step (along with hand washing etc) to reduce (but not entirely eradicate) the spread of illness.

I think depending on how long this continues we may adopt a more Asian approach here in the Uk, as mask wearing becomes normalised. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

This is simply another illness. We don't currently wear them for other illnesses.

I hope not. The world has gone fucking nuts.

Let's maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness and let's stop relying on antibiotics to clean up our inadequate hygiene, and let's for God's sake accept that life has 100% mortality.

My dad died at 73. People said that was "no age". I disagreed. It was a perfectly normal age . You're born, you live, you get old and then you die.

Sometimes people die before they get old - I am not talking about those people.

This is why any new law in response to covid should have to be renewed every 6 to 8 weeks so it doesn't become normal.

@HeresMe

This is why any new law in response to covid should have to be renewed every 6 to 8 weeks so it doesn't become normal.

Yes.

Every time I hear "the new normal" spoken by people in a resigned, accepting way, I want to shake them :(

I hope not. I rely on seeing people's mouths when they speak.

@HesterShaw1

Absolutely I hate the term new normal, we shouldn't accept this as any type of normal. this isn't normal for the human race.

The only "positive(s)" I can possibly make out if this induced Covid game of chance is that over the course of half a year (give or take as apparently this virus was here earlier undetected) we have been on a massive learning curve and roller coaster emotional and scary ride.

Our young children at school and subsequently at home have been taught to adopt new unusual hygiene practices. These include scrubbing hands religiously and constantly, using parts of body like feet and elbows to enter and pass through doors and sneeze into the elbow or preferably both elbows as if in a mayday brace aviation crash landing. That is all from a young child. Also told to not touch things especially high touch point handles and buttons etc and to stay out of splitting distance from other non household people. Oh and to wear some PPE like a face shield or clinical mask.

None of this is normal but all to mitigate against potential invisible risks that have so far claimed 50k plus innocent lives (nearly including Bojo).

Comparatively there is and will be a diversity of Covid etiquette around the globe. Japanese, Singaporean and Scandinavians (to name a few) have always been considered the cleanest and most hygienic cultures. Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and mainland China have always lead the way with mask wearing culture because of historical factors of previous coronavirus SARs and avian and swine flu etc. These nations have on the whole systematic robust mass compulsory test, track, trace and isolate. They also use all methods and advance robotic equipment for deep cleaning of public areas and transportation systems. When in the UK have you seen your council cleaning the streets of litter and crap let alone using industrial machines with surgical spirit mix and UV light treatment to decontaminate viruses?

Are we in the UK moving towards this culture and public awareness and community cohesion- no never! Brits will (many not most) just fight change and opt for traditional comforts and norms when evidently world record Covid fatalities data suggest something has to change to stop the rot.

No one is asking you to do anything other than literally cut up an old t shirt and place it around your mouth and nose if you are in public areas indoors where you can't be further than spitting distance away from each other. No one is asking you to do anything extraordinary or stop you (post lockdown) from doing things you previously enjoyed. It's not a big life changing ask but a small step in the right direction to possibly save your own life and that of others.

If you can't wear a face covering then you need to be aware that you may inadvertently catch this from other unmasked or indeed be an inadvertent super spreaders yourself.

Will shops ban the unmasked on their private property as instructed by government mandates? Well possibly yes if other masked shoppers feel Covid safety compromised.

Are the rules stupid? Yes because we should not need mandatory rules to keep ourselves safe and why children not required face protection or shop keepers?!

There should also ideally be allowance such as current elderly and NHS staff shopping hours to include the legitimate unmaskable for medical grounds. If there are any invisible disabilities like hard of hearing lip readers I believe plastic face shields are fine and there are clear masks too.

We don't need to be developed East Asian mask culture but we should not aim to be the new USA or Brazilian Covid disaster as we have lost too many innocent fellow Brits already. We need to think of new less reckless and selfish ways to help each other slowly get the economy up and running as the furlough is not an extended all inclusive free lunch! We can't forever have our stay at home cake and eat it!

Stay safe and cover your mouth and nose if possible.

[quote Bluegrass]@Drivngdownthe101 - presumably you don’t think we should all be sneezing into our hands, not washing them after going to the loo and coughing on each other, all in the interests of building immunity?

If not, and if you think we should take precautions to prevent the spread of illness, then it’s all just a matter of degree.

You Seem to take a Goldilocks approach of thinking that what we’ve been doing up until now in the UK, including not wearing masks is just right, and that’s that.

Clearly other people, including much of Asia, think we ought to at least be wearing masks when we know we are ill as that is also a necessary step (along with hand washing etc) to reduce (but not entirely eradicate) the spread of illness.

I think depending on how long this continues we may adopt a more Asian approach here in the Uk, as mask wearing becomes normalised. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.[/quote]
Another one who is (wilfully?) misinterpreting what I said.
Which is that exposure to germs is necessary to develop the immune system.
That is a medical fact.
So you can assign additional meaning to my post if you like, but it doesn’t change what I actually said. Which is that a lack of exposure to common viruses is not necessarily a good thing.

No I don’t.

No Covid will never totally be gone (the only disease that has ever been eradicated is smallpox) but the pandemic will be and it won’t present the same risk to public health.

I really hope not - I hate the phrase 'new normal'. Mandatory here since last Friday and I've only worn one twice so far. Once to collect school shoes (had to also return a pair or would have had them delivered), and today for 5 mins in a supermarket to pick up an item that had been excluded from my click and collect order, which could have been easily substituted and wasn't (red wine!), along with an item they'd substituted when they had a shelf full, but I digress. Point is, click and collect and online shopping will be new normal for me for the foreseeable.

And I won't be doing any non essential wandering about the shops with a mask on, so it won't encourage me to wander round the shops, as the 5 minutes I wore it for each time I found unpleasant and very warm. I think I would hate for longer, which I'll find out tomorrow when I get my hair done.

Of course I will wear one, and I understand why, but my 5 year old doesn't understand and I don't think I'll get one on him no matter how much I am trying to make it sound like fun and an adventure, and explain about the virus in an age appropriate way. I really wish there was at least a date mask wearing will be reviewed.

General sickness rates being lower is not necessarily desirable. The human immune system needs to encounter viruses in order to work effectively. If we weren’t exposed to ‘harmless’ virus’s, we would be far more at risk if/when we encountered something more serious

This was my exact post. I don’t know how from that you’ve managed to decide that I think everything we do is right, or what we should all be sneezing on each other , but you seem determined to assign meaning to my post that isn’t there.
I said some exposure to viruses is necessary for a functioning immune system. Is that incorrect?

nd let's stop relying on antibiotics

People will have no choice if wearing a face mask gives them impetigo. I had five recurrent flare ups in five years The bacteria colonizes in the nose. Thats what happens to some of us. Its nothing to do with poor hygiene. No antibiotics for this could cause huge problems.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/clinical/clinical-specialties/prescribing/gps-should-not-prescribe-antibiotics-for-impetigo-says-nice/20039181.article

GPs should not prescribe antibiotics for impetigo, says NICE
14 August 2019 By Beth Gault

The guidelines, from NICE and Public Health England (PHE), say that GPs should recommend topical antiseptic instead of antibiotics, with the aim of reducing antimicrobial resistance.

It found that antiseptics, such as hydrogen peroxide 1% cream, were just as effective as topical antibiotics and therefore should be prescribed instead.

However, the guidelines state that GPs can still prescribe an oral antibiotic if the non-bullous impetigo is widespread, or the patient is systematically unwell or at risk of complications.

Non-bullous impetigo is the more common form of skin infection, usually starting with a rash of small, pus-filled blisters, compared to bullous impetigo, which presents with sores and intact blisters, according to the British Skin Foundation.

It is highly infectious and although usually clears up within two to three weeks without treatment, it is usually treated with an antibiotic to prevent the spread of infection and speed up recovery, according to NICE.

A spokesperson from NICE said: ‘NICE now say that topical antiseptics should be offered to people with localised, non-bullous impetigo if they aren’t systemically unwell or at risk of developing any complications.

If antiseptic treatment is not suitable, or a person has widespread non-bullous impetigo, a topical antibiotic should be given instead (fusidic acid 2%). An oral antibiotic (flucloxacillin) is also an option for people with widespread non-bullous impetigo and should be given first line if the person has bullous impetigo or if they are systemically unwell or at risk of developing any complications.’

The guidance also included that GPs should not combine a topical and oral antibiotic to treat impetigo, as using both is ‘no more effective’ than using one.

It follows a pledge by the Government to cut antibiotics prescribing by a further 15%.

David Banner | GP Partner/Principal14 Aug 2019 5:21pm

I’m sure that those impetigo patients subsequently admitted with “sepsis” will be perfectly satisfied that their GP failed to prescribe an antibiotic

Nick Mann | Salaried GP15 Aug 2019 1:02pm

Facial impetigo is likely to represent URT carriage of pathogenic Staph/Strep.
*Topical treatment of any kind does nothing to address this.
The patient remains a risk to themselves and to any contacts
Cases of neumonia, sepsis and scarlet fever have increased. Who is researching the impact/harms of not treating
Too many agenda guidelines based on too little medical evidence.

Carpe vinum! | GP Partner/Principal15 Aug 2019 1:59pm

and then what about school absence? The HPA advice is exclusion from school until 48 hours after antibiotics commenced, or until lesions have crusted and healed. So parents to keep kids off school for 2-3 weeks under the above guidance - I'm sure that's going to go down well on the school attendance record!

• Sorry I meant five recurrent flare ups in nine years.

There is no way I would accept masks as a permanent feature of life. It is bad enough now.

Causes
Impetigo is an infection caused by strains of staph or strep bacteria. These bacteria can get into your body through a break in the skin from a cut, scratch, insect bite, or rash. Then they can invade and colonize.

The condition can be contagious. You can catch these bacteria if you touch the sores of a person with impetigo or you touch items like towels, clothes, or sheets that the person used.

However, these bacteria are also common in our environment, and most people who come in contact with them won’t necessarily develop impetigo.

Some people normally carry staph bacteria on the inside of their nose. They may get infected if the bacteria spreads to their skin

Impetigo on adults
Although impetigo is more common in young children, adults can get it too. Because it’s so contagious, impetigo can spread through any close contact. Adults who play sports often catch it from skin-to-skin contact.

The symptoms of impetigo in adults are sores around the nose and mouth or other exposed areas of the body that break open, ooze, and then crust.

Generally, impetigo is a mild skin condition, but adults have a higher risk of complications than children These include:

acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis
cellulitis
lymphangitis
sepsis

I have a pre op scrub but will not be pratting about just to mooch and browse the high street. I will mask for half an hour round Tescos Thats it.

If we can get back near normal life with masks surely that’s a good thing. Will they stay a permanent feature? Who knows. However these days (especially now) we all know and accept the importance of hand washing. However, when Semmelweis discovered that cases of puerperal fever were cut down by hand washing, no one took him seriously. Some doctors were even offended at the thought of washing their hands so...

No way. I haven't worn one before, but I just made one today and I only tried it in for a few seconds and hated wearing it.

I'll probably go shopping less when I'm forced to wear one from next week.

@MalificentJones

Was in Boots and spotted the new No 7 limited edition summer range. Its all lip based. Lip gloss Lip Oil and a Lip and Cheek Palette. They might find it hard to shift these now face masks will be mandatory.

They had some Bourjois lippies in a basket near the till for £1 (the brand has been discontinued in the UK) and they wernt being bought either.

With beauty salons still not allowed to do facial waxing / facials brows etc (despite barbers doing beard trims and plucking nose hair) fucking misogny Little Wanksock and Chums are about to find out what women spend .................no sorry SPENT on beauty.

And arent we expecting an announcement on which Boots stores are going to close?!

I work in a hospital so have been wearing masks all day for weeks and weeks now. Several weeks ago a colleague asked me how long I thought we would have to wear them for and my answer was sadly probably forever. Even if coronavirus goes away or is successfully controlled by vaccination, someone will probably decide that masks protected us and will protect us against the many other respiratory viruses so we should continue wearing them. At work they are already becoming the 'new normal' even though we still hate them, it is harder to communicate with them on, they hurt my ears after over 13hrs of wearing it, I have occasionally got to the point of hyperventilating panic attack dealing with the stresses of the day behind a mask. Society as a whole could follow the same 'new normal' (I hate that phrase) once they have got a bit more used to the idea with the reasoning that it would help protect against seasonal flu etc. I hope not but I don't see why not.

@happypotamus

Even if coronavirus goes away or is successfully controlled by vaccination, someone will probably decide that masks protected us and will protect us against the many other respiratory viruses so we should continue wearing them

Yes this is what I’m worried about - you can already see calls for more prolonged use of masks creeping in here. I read all the hectoring posts about ventilators and NHS workers and think of my neighbour, a consultant gerontologist, who has to wear PPE for work but it one of the biggest mask naysayers I know and refuses to wear them anywhere else. The mask evangelists don’t speak for her, nor my my two GP friends who also both hate them. NHS staff aren’t all in agreement on this issue either.

Our children will probably find mask wearing and frequent hand washing normal and will carry on with elements of it throughout their lives. My 4 year old now washes his hands immediately on returning home even after we've just been for a walk in the woods. He automatically uses his sleeve to open gates or get over a stile. If he's wearing short sleeves he automatically puts his hand out for gel after.

Once he goes back to school I imagine the sanitizing message will be even stronger, and kids don't question these things. Similarly my nieces and nephews in America wear masks all the time when they're in public spaces and don't question it. Eventually this will be 'the new normal' as much as people hate that term, because it will be our children's normal.

Before the hand wringing sets in I'm not saying this is great, but it's not awful either is it really. This generation of children may adopt an Asian approach to mask wearing throughout their lives.

Every time I hear "the new normal" spoken by people in a resigned, accepting way, I want to shake them

Me too I will follow the rules and will comply until a solution is found because none of this is "normal"