Interesting UK predictions with mask wearing.

[planningaheadtoday]

I've just looked at this link.

covid19.healthdata.org/united-kingdom?view=total-deaths&tab=trend

All predictions for infection for the UK swiftly fall with mask usage. Why aren't the UK making mask wearing mandatory when you step outside the house or see anyone outside your bubble? Just for a few months.

I think this could seriously help stop the spread of this new variant and give it less opportunity to mutate yet again.

This really is the key thing here, the delaying of mutations so we can get a hold on the current situation with the vaccines.

Once we have a hold, things can ease. But right now, the logistics of fill and finish with a possible modified vaccine don't look rapid. It's not even rapid with what they already have manufactured.

I sat in despair back in early March when it was announced that masks wouldn't help stop the spread. The WHO is to blame here by not giving good advice early on. If they had been clear then world leaders would not have had the excuses they came up with for not making mask wearing mandatory.

I feel it's better to be over cautious and rein back measures rather than wait for evidence whilst doing nothing. Some form of face covering, even an old T-shirt cut up to cover the face would have been accessible to the majority.
Just a piece of T-shirt cuts transmission by 50%.

Masks outside are not necessary. Fresh air is necessary and has been since time began, there is no way I would wear a mask outside in a wide open space

I don't think they are necessary outside unless perhaps it is a crowded place (e.g. Christmas markets, drinking alcohol outside a pub doing takeaways and talking to a group of friends- all things which shouldn't be happening anyway!) but I absolutely blame the government for messing up with masks. Waffling on at the beginning about there being no evidence that they work means that people now refuse to believe the overwhelming evidence showing that they help and they can protect the wearer too by reducing viral load.

My sister caught covid walking round a park with a friend (who developed symptoms the following day), which makes me think masks when meeting others anywhere would be sensible!

How does it work wearing a mask outside in the rain?

I wear a mask if I am walking through my town centre but I am not wearing one walking with family and keeping a distance from anyone else. Completely pointless.

If you click the i button, it tells you that the green “masks” curve is based on both vaccine distribution being scaled up over 90 days plus 95% mask usage by public.

As PP have already pointed out, masks are not needed outdoors and the graphs projection is not based on wearing masks outdoors as well as indoors, nor is it based on 100% of people wearing masks.

Because it's downright dangerous to walk around with steamed up glasses and no I'm not taping the top of my mask to my nose because I'm allergic to glue (eg plasters and medical tape!)

In very crowded shopping areas there was a case for it eg open air markets but not walking around here where I may pass one person two at most and the local supermarket is basically dead now.

The graph seems to be based on compliance. Increasing the % of the population that currently wear a mask from 65% to 95%. Given the number of people on here that say they have medical reasons for not wearing one I think it will be hard for the government to increase it by much. Under lockdown it probably does not matter so much anyway if people are not mixing.

Just a piece of T-shirt cuts transmission by 50%.

That is doubtful. I read that it takes 95% of people wearing cotton masks to reduce transmission by 30%.
www.npr.org/2020/07/21/893417180/scientists-study-how-much-a-difference-wearing-a-mask-makes?t=1609934274188

@mamma2016

My sister caught covid walking round a park with a friend (who developed symptoms the following day), which makes me think masks when meeting others anywhere would be sensible!

Yes - this happened to my mum just before Xmas. She met SIL (and baby) for a walk and a day later SIL came down with flu symptoms and tested +. Mum then required to isolate all of xmas (she was tier 4 anyway tbf so didn't exactly mess up her social plans!) and also came down with symptoms on boxing day, and has tested +.

I agree its far lower risk to catch it outside. But it's not completely without risk.

There should be some bloody rules about the quality of masks. It's not hard to do a bit of reading online and find three layers are suggested, but every retailer has jumped on the mask bandwagon and most are just two layers.

Also those valved masks which don't stop any exhaled air should be banned.

Backs down from my soapbox