How long will we need to wear face masks for?

[Dualipa]

Just wondering when people think wearing face masks will ease?

I think it’ll be for a VERY long time, but I’m only guessing, as I suppose we all are

If it increases people visiting shops - until there is a vaccine otherwise forever, or until public pushback or a new government. So years.

If it doesn't increase people in the shops or in fact decreases, they'll be gone in a month.

I'd like it to continue like in some parts of Asia where you wear a mask if you are unwell (but well enough to be out and about) but mass mask wearing will be around for at least the whole of the winter I think.

I would say until at least next spring, maybe longer. Will depend where we get to with vaccine/treatment and if people are still wearing them happily by that point.

I think it will be here for the foreseeable future. For as long as the virus is still active or until their is a virus.

I think it'll either peter out in a few weeks when shops scream that spending is down, or it'll be here forever. They introduced it when your chances of catching CV are less than 1 in 5000, how much lower does it have to go before they remove it?? It's not something that's ever going to be eliminated, just like all the other viruses that circulate

The next 5 years

If spending drops - which I think it will- then they will be gone by September when schools return. Otherwise until a vaccine is found. I would loathe us to become like many Asian countries where it becomes the norm.

At least over the autumn and winter I would imagine. They are also trying to avoid a bad flu season so wearing masks will also help with that. I guess depending on how winter goes with the number of COVID19 cases and whether there is a vaccine /treatment come spring will determine whether mask wearing has to continue.

I reckon I will keep wearing one even when the rules change, if I have a cough or cold.

For as long as the pandemic is a threat. That can either be until it’s run it’s course or significant number of people are vaccinated.

Has nothing to do with the current government. The virus doesn’t care whether or not you like boris, are labour, conservative or belong to monster raving looney party. Masks are being worn around the world as a means, amongst many things, to deal/control the virus. Shows ignorance to try to make it political.

Until next spring at least.
Possibly until the WHO say the pandemic is officially over.
I don't mind wearing a mask.

Now that post-code level test results are available to local authorities, I could envisage the requirement being relaxed in areas which have gone, say 30 days without any new infections, on the understanding that it would reimposed if any new infections appear.

Other than that - until most people have been vaccinated.

Hopefully for the duration of winter. It will help with the spread of colds and flu as well as cv.

Absolutely no clue, like everything else all we can do is wait and see what happens, there are no crystal balls.

Tbh it doesn't bother me in the slightest to carry on as long as it's necessary, is there a particular reason that you to know now?

Nobody knows or could say with any accuracy whatsoever, it would be the usual random guess with nothing at all to back it up.

This report says that for countries that introduced general mask wearing within 15 to 30 days of the first coronavirus case, the mortality is vastly, vastly reduced. Those countries have done so much better in general (with presumably lower economic damage too) (fig 16)

institute.global/policy/learning-live-alongside-covid-19

If we want the economy and life to get back to anything approaching normal the easiest way to achieve it is for everyone to wear masks.

(everyone who can)

I hope that for too long. Can't help thinking of this.

Infections are already really low, hospital admissions are already really low, deaths are already really low

Therefore it’s hard to predict just how low they have to be before reversing the compulsory wearing of face coverings

I suspect the rules will become more stringent before they are relaxed

Offred isn't wearing her mask over her nose!

a year and then since Covid is not likely to disappear (like flu, measles and HIV), i expect it may become a habit to wear them as human beings are creatures of habit. Wear a mask for a year, and it may become second nature.

I expect they would relax the rules in a year but many people would continue wearing them irregardless.

I’ve bought some nice ones so I’m hoping I get my money’s worth out of them

For quite a long time, I hope; I've just invested in some quite expensive ones!

I'd like it to continue like in some parts of Asia where you wear a mask if you are unwell (but well enough to be out and about) but mass mask wearing will be around for at least the whole of the winter I think.

I'm very against mandated masks, but this I agree with. Encouraging people to have some social
responsibility and stay home or wear a mask when they have a cold or mild illness is a great idea. It's forcing healthy people to wear them to encourage
hypochondriacs to go shopping that I don't agree with.