Is anyone else sick of the mask brigade?

[SpongeCake23]

I am going to be wearing a face covering from the 24th.
However I’m getting sick of the constant steam of ‘shaming’ on social media especially.
The latest is a passive aggressive meme being shared which says ‘if you don’t like the mask, you definitely won’t like being intubated in the ICU’
I’ve just seen another one on a local page in the style of queen’s ‘we will rock you’. Basically “you’re a big disgrace, spreading your germs all over the place” blah blah blah.
I have anxiety and panic attacks and I am going to struggle wearing one, although I’m going to try my best. There are those who really won’t be able to for various reasons - asthma, copd, autism, other mental health issues and I bet they’re reading these posts feeling awful about themselves.

Some people - millions - are exempt and their reasons aren't 'stupid' at all.

Millions?! What is it about British people that means vast numbers have serious reasons for not wearing masks, but not elsewhere I wonder? I don’t much like wearing a mask, and accept some people have genuine reasons for not wearing ones, but this idea that a significant proportion of the U.K. population can’t wear a simple face coverings, in contrast to other countries, is ridiculous and embarrassing.

@Derbygerbil

Some people - millions - are exempt and their reasons aren't 'stupid' at all.

Millions?! What is it about British people that means vast numbers have serious reasons for not wearing masks, but not elsewhere I wonder? I don’t much like wearing a mask, and accept some people have genuine reasons for not wearing ones, but this idea that a significant proportion of the U.K. population can’t wear a simple face coverings, in contrast to other countries, is ridiculous and embarrassing.

Millions of people in other countries are exempt, too. All countries where masks are mandatory have exemption policies.

There are 13.9 million disabled people in the UK. Of course not all of them will have disabilities which mean they can't wear a mask, but a good proportion will. Then there are health conditions which do not count as disabilities but are debilitating nonetheless, and can be triggered by mask wearing - trigeminal neuralgia, for example, which is what I have, would come under that umbrella, and 10 in 100,000 people in the UK have that (a small number are comfortable in a mask but most are not - as with all health issues, its affects can differ between sufferers). On top of that there are those with psychological/MH issues who cannot wear a mask - there's no way of calculating those numbers, but as a rough guide 3 in 100 people will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives (again not all those with PTSD will need to be exempt, this is just to give you an idea of how common it is). Millions of people are survivors of sexual violence and a proportion of them have had their mouths/noses/faces covered during the assault. Some very brave posters have shared their experiences of this on other threads.

So yes. There will be many millions of people who will be exempt. Please try to exhibit some empathy towards them, rather than being embarrassed by them.

Just get on with it, don't be a twat, think of other people and also of yourself.

Also, don't be a twat and discard it thoughtlessly, the amount of masks discarded on the streets is ridiculous. Bin it or buy/make a reusable one.

I can't wear a mask and I get funny looks. It bothers me a lot so I'll be doing all of my shopping online.

My ex partner used to put his hands over my mouth and nose during his abuse. I have panic attacks.

@AdaFromYorkshire

Did people make this much fuss when they were issued with gas masks in WW2 ? It would be really interesting to know.

One of my grandmothers did. Forty years later she told me, at length, about the terribly privations inflicted on her during WW2. In addition to being issued with a gas mask, she was expected to eat slop due to rationing, and lost half her household staff when they were called up for the war effort., and as a result had to do housework and care for her own children. The poor woman truly suffered, don't you know?! Apparently she used to write to my grandfather who was away fighting to bemoan the horrendous circumstances she had been forced into.

To hear her talk one could easily believe all these things were done only to her, and everyone else was having a high old time.

I'm more sick of the people looking for conspiracy theories in everything and saying that making masks mandatory is just another way to control us 🙄 I expect some of the posts are aimed at people like this.

There’s a difference between “can’t” and “won’t”. Those of us who can wear masks, even though we don’t like it, protect those who can’t. A bit like getting vaccines. If enough people do their bit, it halts the spread of disease.

For those who complain that their poor ears hurt, and their specs steam up, and their poor wee faces get all sweaty - for heaven’s sake, get on with it, you can just wear them for a short time in an enclosed public space and remove it the minute you get out. You can get masks with a nose wire, which makes it easier for those wearing glasses, and if it’s uncomfortable on the ears then get a snood or extend the elastic ties yourself. There are worse things, really.

You SHOULD get masks with a nose wire

If unfiltered air is coming out or in through the sides of the mask, its efficacy is much reduced.

Masks have been mandatory indoors for at least a month now in Portugal. I've been out and about.
I'm yet to see someone without one or claiming that they can't wear one.
I'm pretty sure it won't be that common in the UK. Definitely not millions, and not even hundreds of thousands.

I'm yet to see someone without one or claiming that they can't wear one

That’ll be because they’re all staying at home.

What also just said

That’ll be because they’re all staying at home.
Not necessarily.
People can be out in the street without masks. It's allowed.

But people are allowed just visors. And I haven't seen any with only visors either.

So yes. There will be many millions of people who will be exempt. Please try to exhibit some empathy towards them, rather than being embarrassed by them.

I'm not embarrassed by anyone not wearing a mask, nor do I want to shout abuse at them. I would just prefer that they kept their distance from me and didn't come too close, that's all.

DR MAX THE MIND DOCTOR: Why we rebels must heed the rules on masks

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8535701/DR-MAX-MIND-DOCTOR-rebels-heed-rules-masks.html

I’m surprised no one considers the risk of infection in these discussions. 1 in 3900 people had covid when the announcement re wearing mandatory mask was made. So the chances of catching it in a shop are really quite small for the average shopper.

My big issue is that there seems to be a general assumption that everyone potentially has covid and therefore mask wearing must be mandatory. It’s a complete fallacy which I personally find ridiculous.

the chances of catching it in a shop are really quite small for the average shopper

My chance of catching it is even smaller if you either wear a mask or stay well away from me. So I don't mind you not wearing a mask so long as you don't come near me.

there seems to be a general assumption that everyone potentially has covid and therefore mask wearing must be mandatory

But people with covid don't have a big sign tattooed on their forehead saying that they have it. Many don't have any symptoms at all. So it makes sense to assume everyone has it to limit the spread.

So the chances of catching it in a shop are really quite small for the average shopper.
Yes. Was in a supermarket this morning, none of the workers and only a tiny number of shoppers were wearing masks (and you could play Bingo guessing the types that were) and the show or let's no longer wear gloves either.
Have not seen any outbreaks locally -numbers are vanishingly small. The only number that will reduce when masks are introduced will the shop's takings.

The science seems pretty clear - if the population generally adopts masks we'll reduce transmission and get back to normal quicker.

I understand that this applies to me. I don't 'like' it but am wearing one in the supermarket etc. Why wait until its the law?

I've noticed that a lot of people are not bothering much with the sanitisers and social distancing any more and I find that really .worrying. The infection rate has stopped falling.

"I'm pretty sure it won't be that common in the UK. Definitely not millions, and not even hundreds of thousands."

Half a million people have autism. Another large number of people have learning difficulties. Although some of them will be able to tolerate a mask there is a fair proportion that will not. If you add in all the other reasons I would say it puts it in the millions rather than thousands.

In some countries people won't be allowed out. Do we want that here. I think the general consensus is no.

I'm shocked at the statistic quoted earlier that there are 13.9m disabled people in the UK. That is 20% of the population. 1 in 5 people. I had no idea, I'm staggered that it is so many.

@byvirtue

It’s a fair point - numbers are very low in most places. I’m thinking the Government are concerned that we’ll increasingly abandon all social distancing over the coming weeks, and that all the good work of the last few months will be undone as numbers will shoot up again as a result, just as they have in the US....

Numbers were tiny in January too, but by March it was out of control - if we went back completely to normal, it’s a fair bet that will happen again. Mandatory masks in shops will ensure we are unable to “forget” about Covid, as people seem to be increasingly doing.... and as has been said by the Government, we only stand a chance of lifting restrictions completely by the end of the year if continental “stay alert”.

“continue to” not “continental”.

Well if we are going to wax lyrical about what other countries think of us I wonder what Italy thinks. They have been handing out masks free outside pharmacies or charging only a few pence.

Japan have cooled masks in vending machines for people to buy so more comfortable in hot weather.

UK Make your own mask out of a sock.

Other countries might not be judging British people as much as you think if they knew this fact. And they may well know about the sock expectation here what with it being the digital age and all. They will likely be judging our ridiculous Government though

Peoples expectations in this country are so low its laughable

Might help if, as a society we lost the hard on we seem to have for our so called betters!!!

In some countries people won't be allowed out. Do we want that here. I think the general consensus is no.

It may end up being outside if people don't wear them inside and transmission isn't controlled.

I would expect the same % of people have some form of autism and learning difficulties in Portugal and the UK.
It's not been an issue here that I've noticed. Not even of parents complaining about their older children.
If those people really are not able to wear a mask, it's likely that their lives are not anywhere normal anyway.
I strongly suspect you're overestimating the number that really can't wear a mask at all. But there is no actual data for this.

I'm sick of people acting like toddlers and having a strop because they dont want to do something that might save a life. It is ridiculous and embarrassing.

I have sympathy for those who will have a panic attack if they wear one, provided they have actually tried to wear at least a face shield, none at all for the selfish toddler who just doesnt want to and tries to justify it with nonsensical comments. Since I dont know which category non mask wearers are in I'm not going to glare at you - but I'm not going in shops where a lot of people are maskless. If that means the economy tanks and you loose your job that's just tough, isnt it. Pity you'll bring others down with you.

I've actually tried a gas mask. It stank, they were dreadful. Those who didnt manage to get them on in time were sometimes blinded or had permanent lung damage. A trip to the War Museum will show you some of the photos. Dont compare wearing a modern mask to a gas mask for anything except the lung damage.