Is mask wearing limiting your economic participation?

[byvirtue]

I knew mask wearing was mandatory in shops but I hadn’t heard about the new restrictions that have come out today www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53702291

I had planned to head to a spa for a couple of days this month for my birthday and we were going to book a staycation in a hotel in September. We would have easily spent £2k on these trips.

Now it seems that masks are mandatory for spa treatments and in hotel public areas we won’t be going. I personally find face coverings unpleasant and they significantly reduce my enjoyment so I'd rather not bother.

We are fit and healthy with money to spend and were happy to get out and spend money prior to face coverings becoming mandatory. These new rules mean the opportunities for us to spend money have been notably reduced.

I’m curious are these extended face covering rules going to lead to you spending more or less now?

Yes. I won't go if I have to wear one.

I had to get 3 buses in 35 degree heat today (I was returning from facial surgery). I was in excruciating pain and sweat was dripping out at the bottom and at the top in my eyes.

I am really never going out again.

Nope. They're not particularly comfortable but I've wasted enough time this year. I would quite like to get on with my life now and and it's not really a big ask.

Yes for sure, spending much less in the shops but I am eating out more than I normally do.

@soasd

100% reducing what I spend and my economic participation. Been to the pub twice but that's it. Absolutely sucked the enjoyment out of everything. Everyone I know has said the same. They are vile

I just don't know anyone in real life who would say anything like that. "sucked the enjoyment out of everything?" It's just a mask. Thankfully most of my friends and family are much more relaxed about life than to get that het up about it. It's just such a tiny inconvenience, seems only to be on mumsnet that people are struggling so badly with them.

That's so interesting because I can genuinely say I don't know/observe (hardly) anyone in my life that does want to wear a mask.

Definitely avoiding any non essential shopping so will be saving money, not a fan of online shopping.

I feel claustrophobic and extremely uncomfortable wearing a mask, i hate wearing them and can't wait until they are no longer mandatory.

I wear a mask because I have to but I hate it and it makes me very uncomfortable. I'm constantly touching it as my lower face is covered in sweat and I feel like I cant breath properly. Prior to wearing a mask I never ever touched my face as I have a 'thing' about my face being touched so all in all I hate it. This means that I am spending considerably less time & money than I was before making we're mandatory. Most of my friends, family and work colleagues are the same.

I wear a mask to pop into pick up a pint of milk or to the bakers, no probs, but it has put me off pottering around gift shops... it’s the optional things like that where I’m definitely spending less. Mind you, I probably would go in less shops if we didn’t have to wear masks at all!!

No. Quite the opposite.

I am not going anywhere anymore. It's more restrictive than the start of lockdown.

I will go to very few places that I don't have to go to.

I had to wear a mask for several hours the other day to travel by train to look after my elderly parents. I bought and ate food and drink at times when I might not have normally just so that I could get a break from my fucking mask.

I hate masks. I keep mine with me but will wear it for the bare minimum amount of time.

@fedupwiththeidots

I can’t believe healthy people wouldn’t go to places because of having to wear a mask.

I can't believe healthy people WEAR a mask. What's the point? They are not magic. They won't protect you.

And evidence of asymptomatic transmission is sketchy at best.

They're selling the magic ones at Aldi

I wouldn't go wearing a mask because it is really unpleasant, but i wouldnt go without one because it is dangerous.

A spa treatment, a cinema visit, a restaurant visit... it's all non-essential, I will live without these things. It is fine. I can buy online and spend time outdoors or in socially distanced settings.

I'd rather any headroom to spread virus was reserved for essential services like education, healthcare, dental, culture etc etc.

No - wearing a mask has meant:

• I could attend a funeral (would have been devastated to miss)
• I can go on holiday
• I feel happier going to shops

And I absolutely love the fact it is mandatory as all the whiny gobshites who refuse to wear one are confined to their thrones of self-righteousness in their mask-free homes.

I'd be much more likely to go to places where masks were mandatory so hopefully it'll all balance out!

Yes, and I have no problems wearing one, have worn them for hours at a time, flown long-haul with one on, gone out with one, etc, but I hate them, they brought back my acne which I spent years getting rid of and now I'll be mostly sticking to places where I don't have to bother with them. We're renting out a friends' cottage in a remote place in Autumn and another mate's lodge to avoid the whole thing for the most part.

Far too many people think they are force fields. And far too many don't use them correctly at all.

I won’t be going anywhere that requires a mask, apart from essential shopping trips. They’re bloody horrible to wear, and make me feel anxious. It’s not a nice experience for me.

I can do without cinemas / theatres.

I will be spending much less money, as I choose not to wander around non essential shops now. It’s just too uncomfortable.

What? What studies are these? Links please to journals or IT IS BULLSHIT

royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/set-c/set-c-facemasks.pdf?la=en-GB&hash=A22A87CB28F7D6AD9BD93BBCBFC2BB24

www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7191114/

www.cebm.net/covid-19/what-is-the-efficacy-of-standard-face-masks-compared-to-respirator-masks-in-preventing-covid-type-respiratory-illnesses-in-primary-care-staff/

wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-0948_article

aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0016018

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468042720300117

academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa593/5866410

I mean, I’m a University Lecturer so I can go on all night if you’d like? I don’t wear a cloth mask, based on my Consultant Cardiologist’s suggestion as he feels I need more protection (I’ve been Shielded) and issued me with some PPE (surgical and N95 masks). However, I do fully support mask wearing, cloth or otherwise.

(PS, when I said I could go on all night...I could...but I actually just want to get to bed now lol so night night )

I went to our local mall with my daughter yesterday. I'm not scared of lack of social distancing ( key worker been working through the whole lockdown) But it wasn't enjoyable. Masks are hot and weird to wear. I've been wearing one for work company policy(!) But I don't much like being told to wait outside/ walk over here not over there/ compulsory hand washing sanitising before you're allowed in a shop/ don't touch that/ changing rooms shut/ stand back/ don't pay with cash etc. It just wasn't very nice and I won't be repeating it for a while.

I'm a Nobel Prize winning scientist, a neurosurgeon (no need to capitalise that), a top environmentalist and the next Dalai Lama.