I'm wondering what types of medical conditions prevent people from wearing masks

[lovelemoncurd]

I'm trying to understand the rationale for not wearing masks. Patients with respiratory conditions routinely wear masks in hospital and it's not a problem so what are the conditions that are prohibiting mask use. After all coronavirus must surely trump them?

DD's boyfriend has pretty severe asthma plus a lung related condition. He wears a max and it has no impact on his breathing.

Not everyone with asthma, even severe, can't wear one.

In France very few people weren't wearing masks - it seems they have less exemptions perhaps because we saw people of all ages, ethnicities, sizes, sexes m, etc wearing masks.

In London yesterday more people were wearing masks except for the anti mask/5G conspiracy protest march down oxford street bleating in about loss of freedom. I did not appreciate a middle aged man thrusting paper into my face whilst I waited to go into the Disney store with Dh and dd and placing himself within a metre of me. He was ranting about us (the shoppers) being within the 99% and we didn't need to wear a muzzle. Actually I am not risk free (clinically vulnerable) and I can chose to wear a mask.

From what I could see it also gave me more freedom than he has right now - I've just been on holiday, I've can use public transport, I can use hotels, I can go shopping, I can eat out, I can visit local attractions, etc. If he chooses not to wear a mask then actually he has less freedom to do much pf that stuff right now anyway.

The protestors were almost entirely white and middle aged, a few slightly younger (but didn't see any teens) and very few much older people. There were maybe a small handful of BAME but minimal. More men than woman. There appeared to be some overlap with the racist/anti BLM/ EDL type protest we'd seen earlier in the day.

On the train and underground most people we wearing masks. The young and old were almost always wearing them, and wearing them properly. I was pleased to see that compliance was pretty high.

Apparently some people find using a neck fan, aimed under their mask, can help keep them a little cooler and less prone to panic. I'm not sure how that affects the effectiveness of the mask though.

I totally understand why some people can't wear them and support that, but unfortunately the anti mask protestors really didn't seem to fit that kind of profile - so I feel that the genuine people are having their concerns and worries marred by that group.

From what I could see it also gave me more freedom than he has right now - I've just been on holiday, I've can use public transport, I can use hotels, I can go shopping, I can eat out, I can visit local attractions, etc. If he chooses not to wear a mask then actually he has less freedom to do much pf that stuff right now anyway.

That's what annoys me. I don't choose not to wear a mask, I can't wear one (and function to do any of those things) and yet you can guarantee people would be more likely to challenge me (female, 40s, healthy looking, with small children) than him. Therefore I can't go anywhere that requires masks.

I am not presuming anything really . I’ve come to the conclusion now this will be with us for a long time especially in the uk . Further lockdown restrictions will have to be put in place . I’m not at all saying either someone should be tied down and forced to wear one , but I do suspect that most could bear it just choose not to .we then go back to queuing outside supermarkets only 1 person allowed in again and the virus carries on .

I agree dinosaur - he was intimating and within my personal space thrusting leaflets at me. He, and his group, weren't concerned about people who genuinely can't wear a mask at all. They're not fighting for that cause. He and his group are making life harder for those who really can't wear a mask. And it isn't fair.

@Dinosauratemydaffodils

From what I could see it also gave me more freedom than he has right now - I've just been on holiday, I've can use public transport, I can use hotels, I can go shopping, I can eat out, I can visit local attractions, etc. If he chooses not to wear a mask then actually he has less freedom to do much pf that stuff right now anyway.

That's what annoys me. I don't choose not to wear a mask, I can't wear one (and function to do any of those things) and yet you can guarantee people would be more likely to challenge me (female, 40s, healthy looking, with small children) than him. Therefore I can't go anywhere that requires masks.

I can't wear one and I haven't had my freedom curtailed in any way at all. I'm able to do everything when I'm out that I could do before they became mandatory.

There’s talk now of maybe locking down over 50s I’ve heard . Of course there will be a load of Reasons , excuses why that can’t happen. Measures like this will happen thou because little measures they give us can’t be followed as it shows with cases still rising .

@Sallydimebar

There’s talk now of maybe locking down over 50s I’ve heard . Of course there will be a load of Reasons , excuses why that can’t happen. Measures like this will happen thou because little measures they give us can’t be followed as it shows with cases still rising .

That one would be mad though. The over 50s that can't WFH couldn't be locked down, they've got to work. Can you really see the government covering their financial loss?

I went to a big sainsbury's a few days ago. Saw probably less than 50 people (I was in and out in under 20 mins. never liked shopping in general) and people with masks on: about 5, incl. me.

That's this country for you. As soon as people see someone not wearing a mask and 'getting away with it' then they'll stop wearing a mask and so on until before you know it you feel like the idiot in a shop because you're the only one with a mask on.

The only way to get people to comply with anything in England is to make it genuinely compulsory.

DS has autism. He doesn't understand the reasons for wearing a mask. I had bought one for him and tried to explain why he needs to wear one but he had panic attacks and so we now carry an exemption card when we go out.

DH, DD and I all wear masks. Despite DH being asthmatic, he prefers to wear one.

I would like to see those who can't wear masks given home delivery priority along with other shielding people so that they don't have to go to shops and put others at risk. It would be helpful all round, assuming that people didn't 'game the system'.

@OutwiththeOutCrowd

I would like to see those who can't wear masks given home delivery priority along with other shielding people so that they don't have to go to shops and put others at risk. It would be helpful all round, assuming that people didn't 'game the system'.

People shouldn't be in shops without masks on. It should be exemption letters and then priority deliveries.

The fault lies not with the maybe 1% who can't wear masks but all those who will think that if they don't have to wear one then neither will I.

And round and round we go to "if you can't wear one stay inside".

Maybe people don't want to, maybe they don't have the facilities/support network to, maybe they need to be out (medical emergency).

You don't get to decide. It's that simple.

The only ones making it worse for people that can't wear the masks are the one judging, giving looks, being abusive and hiding behind "but..but..but .. some people are dick".

I think they will have further measures drawn up ready to put in at short notice if needed . Maybe measures do have to become law as please comply seems to be 50/50 from what I’ve seen . They’ve tried with the wash your hands , keep your distance that stopped working now mask wearing again ..some do some don’t for whatever reason . They will be under so much pressure now to get things ready for schools /colleges to go back , anything could happen even locking down over 50s because there’s a lot more people who won’t be able to work if schools can’t reopen . We won’t go like America just let cases rise and crack on anyway .

@OutwiththeOutCrowd

I would like to see those who can't wear masks given home delivery priority along with other shielding people so that they don't have to go to shops and put others at risk. It would be helpful all round, assuming that people didn't 'game the system'.

What would be helpful is forgetting ideas like keeping people confined to their homes. If you're worried about the risk from me, I suggest you keep a minimum distance of 2m from me. I assure you I won't be trapping you at the end of a supermarket aisle and licking you.

I think they will have further measures drawn up ready to put in at short notice if needed .

I guess those are the measures that Johnson has on the fag packet he keeps in the arse pocket of his trousers.

No what happens if we all can’t follow/comply with the rules Is we all get locked down again And yes we go round and round again with this virus . (Maybe people don't want to)
I really don’t think anyone wants to wear one but for the greater good we should ,!again thou with people having that attitude You can see the problem we have

What would be helpful is forgetting ideas like keeping people confined to their homes

You can go out in the open air as much as you like without a mask (within the rules and without the need for exemption)

If you have difficulty wearing a mask, I'd actually encourage you to get out into open spaces rather than going into an enclosed, crowded environment.

I certainly wouldn't want to see anyone 'confined to their homes'.

So what do hospitals do about people who can’t/won’t wear masks.

I had to go to the hospital and everyone was masked, including people I saw with dementia.

The thing is, people don’t know that the person without the mask - however genuine their reasons for exemption might be - does not have coronavirus. Just because you can’t wear a mask doesn’t confer an inability to pass on the disease.

Let’s say you were in a virus hotspot (so no, There are no cases round here excuse) - would it feel appropriate to enter a shop, large or small, or pub or place of worship without a mask on?

“The fault lies not with the maybe 1% who can't wear masks but all those who will think that if they don't have to wear one then neither will I.“
This is exactly the problem we have but they will will be the 1st shouting out blaming the government when further measures are put in place .

You can’t go in a hospital not wearing one but every one seems to manage that one and has done whey before they were made to wear them in shops .

PhilCornwall - but that's because you're exempt, so can enter shops and use public transport without one. The vast majority of those protesting in London yesterday (fortunately it was a relatively small group of people when you consider the size of London, let alone the size of the country) weren't exempt. They weren't protesting for the rights of those exempt. They were protesting because they don't want to wear one. So technically, as not actually exempt, they can't enter shops and use public transport unless they wear a mask, which they won't.

And that in turn makes it harder for those who genuinely can't wear one.

@annabel85

What would be helpful is forgetting ideas like keeping people confined to their homes

You can go out in the open air as much as you like without a mask (within the rules and without the need for exemption)

And as I am exempt from wearing a mask, I can also go into shops as much as I like.