Hypothetical mask question

[Frazzled13]

Absolutely hypothetical question as obviously it would never happen like this.
Imagine the government said tomorrow that masks were no longer legally required, however they were still recommended, and they hadn’t suddenly discovered that they don’t work or cause some horrible side effect, and there also hadn’t been a massive drop in cases that made masks not necessary. Everything is the same, they just aren’t legally required.
Would you still wear one? Would you only wear it in some situations? Or would your masks be instantly thrown into a fire, never to be seen again? If you would keep wearing it, do you think you’ll continue to do so (post-covid) as a regular winter measure against colds etc?
I was only wondering because before masks were legally required, where I live the vast vast majority of people were not wearing them in shops but I think if they suddenly changed the rules more people would wear them despite not being legally obliged to than did earlier in the year, in part because I think people are a lot more used to them now.
(I’m not advocating a sudden random change in rules by the way.)

I think a better question is would you continue to judge or take the piss out of people wearing a mask when the majorit of others don't?

This was happening a great deal early in the year. People were being harassed for mask wearing, I witnessed two such episodes myself and many people on here openly made fun of mask wearers , calling them ' terrified', ridiculous etc.

I'd be interested if that cultural prejudice is gone. I'm not convinced it has despite everyone wearing them at the moment.

sitt and beware I discovered the benefits of wearing a neck gaiter over my mouth and nose last winter at Parkrun. So much easier to run when I was no longer breathing in cold air.

I'm looking forward to not wearing them but I reckon I will for a bit after it's not mandated. Because I remember the government saying 'right, back on the trains, back to the office, the lot of you' and that didn't work out terribly well.

If the WHO say it's ok then I would drop it.

[quote Crimblecrumble1990]@theantsgomarchin

Actually masks do not protect the wearer, they prevent (marginally) the wearer spreading their germs around. How have you missed this? [/quote]
Really? I thought that recent guidelines suggest that they do protect the wearer too. The advice is that it lowers transmission both ways and the viral/infectious dose is considerably lowered for the wearer if masks are worn properly.

@OpheliasCrayon
There's honestly no other reason to start such a thread other than it lets people point out that those of us who wouldn't wear one are lesser and selfish.

It made me consider something I hadn't before - I had been thinking that once Covid is under control, I'd rip off the mask and be done with it. Actually, though, I think I would wear one in a crowded place (like the Tube) if I was feeling coldy or unwell, post-Covid. You know, the days when you feel iffy but not sick enough to take a day off work. I would not have even considered it before all of this. And I wouldn't be virtue-signalling, just way more aware that there is a simple and effective way not to pass on my illness to the Central Line.

So, yeah, there's a good reason for the thread that has nothing to do with your guilt.

Um. DH and I went to Wales back in August when it was mandatory in England but not Wales. He wore one in the shops, I didn't... 🤭

I think I'd wear one on public transport in winter if I had a cold, but as a PP said will wearing a mask be culturally frowned upon again?

I think it offers 80 % protection to others and 20% to the wearer. I can't remember where I read that but the implication is that if everyone wears one we are all protected.

It’s becoming clearer that masks do protect the wearer. They massively reduce the viral load inhaled, this increasingly the chance of asymptomatic infection.
The cdc have updated their guidance to reflect this

www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/11/933903848/wear-masks-to-protect-yourself-from-the-coronavirus-not-only-others-cdc-stresses?t=1606646111658

I think they'll become a standard part of kit when doing things like personal care and up close treatment (where they're not already worn) in the future to be honest, and then I'll have to wear one.
But as for everyday, maybe in flu season they'll become more popular for some to wear.

The overall view of masks that reached me at least, is that they offer some protection to the wearer, while offering more protection to those around the wearer.
At the moment when we have limited means to slow the spread of a virus that is new, and therefore unpredictable as to who, why and how badly people are affected, I think we should use everything to hand to do that. Social distancing at distances that the virus is unlikely to be able to travel unassisted, sanitising of communal objects (door handles, shopping trolleys etc) to stop them harbouring the virus and wearing masks to help prevent it being spread into the air and then breathed in.
Doing the first two offers the person doing it pretty much the same protection, if not more than other people, the last one leans towards protecting other people, and that's where the issue starts.
We've developed a very individual society over the last 10 or 20 years, each for themselves, insular and inward looking, and now it's pretty much impossible to get people to see any benefit in doing something that offers them minimal protection and others more protection.
That could I guess, be a definition of selfish "for the benefit of the self", but what I see mostly is people who do think like this (no judgement from me) but strongly object to being called selfish because of that. While further calling (mocking) those who don't share their view, and do wear a mask when not mandated as virtue signalling, perfect etc.
I also see those who do wear them being particularly overwrought about people who don't share their views and calling people murderers and the like.
Ultimately it's about cooperation, and that's proving to not be a strong point in today's society, especially when it offers little benefit to the self, but also a refusal to accept that there are concequences to that lack of cooperation that do affect the self (increased infections that may close services, government imposing lockdowns to physically prevent a lot of people being in the same place and thus spreading the virus) and blaming someone else.

Nope.

I live for the day the bastarding things are consigned to history.

@Calligraphy572

Is 'virtue signalling' now to go-to defence of selfishness?

Seem so yes

It’s old news that masks don’t protect the wearer just the people around them.

WHO have stated that:
“People wearing masks are protected from getting infected. Masks also prevent onward transmission when worn by a person who is infected.”

Also like a pp has already stated the cdc has also updated their guidance as masks are shown to help the wearer too.
There was a study done by an Oxford group that also confirms this. The study found:
“Cloth face coverings are effective in protecting the wearer and those around them.”

But each to their own. After covid wear a mask if you want or ditch them. Shouldn’t be judged for your choices.

A recent Danish study found they don’t protect the wearer.

But each to their own. If people feel better wearing them for whatever reason then that’s great.

I wear mine as required but curtail my activities accordingly as I hate them. Will be binning as soon as nit compulsory

Is “selfishness” the new go-to accusation towards others for those who want to virtue-signal? It’s a bit chicken and egg really. I never took the piss out of anyone who chose to wear a mask before it was mandated, so why would I do it now?

Very unlikely I would voluntary wear one. Only to fit in.

I am trying to maintain 2m anyway. Not afraid of virus but I don't want my life disrupted any further. My mental health would go down by not getting out every day for at least a little while.

I perceive reality about face-cover wearing as 'norm' is going the other way, more and more people are wearing face covers in any outdoor public space is what I observe. Even just to put the bins out. This is what many people want to do.

[quote Calligraphy572]@OpheliasCrayon
There's honestly no other reason to start such a thread other than it lets people point out that those of us who wouldn't wear one are lesser and selfish.

It made me consider something I hadn't before - I had been thinking that once Covid is under control, I'd rip off the mask and be done with it. Actually, though, I think I would wear one in a crowded place (like the Tube) if I was feeling coldy or unwell, post-Covid. You know, the days when you feel iffy but not sick enough to take a day off work. I would not have even considered it before all of this. And I wouldn't be virtue-signalling, just way more aware that there is a simple and effective way not to pass on my illness to the Central Line.

So, yeah, there's a good reason for the thread that has nothing to do with your guilt.[/quote]
I feel no guilt.

And did you know that there's been a study on the tube, which showed that of all of the hundreds of locations tested, there was no trace at all of covid .

@Frazzled13

There's honestly no other reason to start such a thread other than it lets people point out that those of us who wouldn't wear one are lesser and selfish

@OpheliasCrayon
Ah. That wasn’t my intention at all. I tried to be neutral in the OP because I was genuinely curious. I would also not wear a mask if not legally required to so certainly didn’t start the thread to virtue signal.

Fair enough. Well you opened up the opportunity for tons of people who just love it !

@OpheliasCrayon

Not a chance. I'd stop immediately.

Me too. I would happily burn the hideous, fecking things.

We've developed a very individual society over the last 10 or 20 years, each for themselves, insular and inward looking, and now it's pretty much impossible to get people to see any benefit in doing something that offers them minimal protection and others more protection

I agree and think that is very sad.

I don't know whether I'll wear one in the future or not. What I object to is the people who state they only care about themselves and not at all about protecting other people.

Probably...my job requires me to wear one anyway though. I might wear one out I. Public places from now on anyway,especially if I have a cold etc

The second they aren't mandatory, mine are gone. They trigger my ptsd, I can't sleep the night before and the night after I have to wear one and I'm sick of how absolutely rubbish they make me feel. Not to mention the "fun" flashbacks when it suddenly becomes a hand in the middle of a busy supermarket or at my dd's gym class. Absolutely not helped by the stupid selfish idiots wearing them who make zero attempt to socially distance. The last thing I need in a mask is a complete stranger brushing against me because they can't wait 30 seconds.

I'd stop wearing the bloody things. Post covid there isn't a chance in hell I'll be wearing a mask, they'll be going straight in the bin.

I live in france where it has been mandatory to wear masks inside since May and then outside on the streets and even in some parks and at sports training grounds since September. They are also worn for the entire day apart from lunchtime in schools from the age of 6. If they really helped the situation then why did france just have a really big second wave? Also, since my DC all wear masks at school and my DH wears one pretty much from time he leaves the house until he gets back home, how did we all still manage to catch it last month? Aside from the fact I’ve had worse hangovers, I appreciate that we were all lucky not to have been that ill or have any long term issues. However, the only time my throat feels a bit raspy and like I’m breathing thick air (which is what I experienced while I had covid) is when I have to wear a bloody mask inside a supermarket for an hour or so and it seems to irritate my throat. My DC are also noticeably more tired and have more frequent headaches since mask wearing at school became the rule.
I hate them and see no worth in them at all. The fabric ones create more laundry and are therefore harmful to the environment and the disposable ones are adding millions of tons of plastic waste to the earth.

As soon as they lift the ridiculous forced mask wearing I will be burning the fucking thing.