Face masks and social distancing forever anyone?

[englishmaninnewyork]

Susan Michie, Professor of Health Psychology at UCL and a leading member of SAGE, has told Channel 5 that mask-wearing and social distancing will need to stay in place “forever”, not only for Covid but also “to reduce other [diseases]” in the future.
twitter.com/5_News/status/1402682447586811913
Sadly, this fruit cake has the government's ear.
Plenty have warned this past 12 months that changes we have been seeing were the thin edge of the wedge
Dismissed and gas-lighted, sadly.

There’s a woman who was in Channel 4 news last night from Cambridge University who thinks we should roll back to 12 April and that we are heading for thousands of deaths in the summer. I really hope she’s wrong and I can’t see us going back to lockdown. Most people I know are happy to stay as we are for as long as as it takes but not go backwards

That was Deepti Guadasini. Now that Devi Sridhar has rowed back on a few of her comments the media have had to look for a replacement.

@GlencoraP

There’s a woman who was in Channel 4 news last night from Cambridge University who thinks we should roll back to 12 April and that we are heading for thousands of deaths in the summer. I really hope she’s wrong and I can’t see us going back to lockdown. Most people I know are happy to stay as we are for as long as as it takes but not go backwards

These folk can say what they like. If they, Sage and the rest are wrong - and they usually are, let's be honest - there is no accountability. No nothing, basically. It's just as you were. Different world.

Devi Sridhar told Newsround on kid's tv vaccines were 100 per cent safe for children. 100 PER CENT SAFE.
That's a lie, nothing less. Why no repercussions? If this was some anti-vaxxer spreading misinformation they would have been cancelled (and rightly so). So why not the other way round?

[quote MercyBooth]@CovidCorvid Incident on the Tube

twitter.com/MartinDaubney/status/1402948582341238784?s=20[/quote]
Surely people can just say they have panic attacks and then they're exempt?

@GoldenOmber

She's on SAGE - real SAGE - who are holding us hostage

SAGE don’t make the rules, though. SAGE advise the government, on the specific remit they’re given, and the government factors that into the bigger picture and then decides the rules.

After all, we don’t live in a technocratic authoritarian state where a bunch of scientists decide what ‘has to’ and ‘needs to’ happen, and the government does as they say. Although certain scientists seem somewhat disappointed by this…

But hasn't Boris always said that they will follow the data/evidence/science?

Certainly listening to Hancock today he's full of "the scientists told us this, the scientists told us that so that's what we did".

@englishmaninnewyork

Devi Sridhar told Newsround on kid's tv vaccines were 100 per cent safe for children. 100 PER CENT SAFE. That's a lie, nothing less. Why no repercussions? If this was some anti-vaxxer spreading misinformation they would have been cancelled (and rightly so). So why not the other way round?

Oh dear. Every medicine and medical device has a risk.

Denmark’s ditching masks on Monday so it’ll be interesting to see what happens with case numbers.

But hasn't Boris always said that they will follow the data/evidence/science?

But ‘what should we do here?’ is a massive policy question with tons and tons of moving parts, it isn’t a question where you can just point to ‘the data’ on one thing.

It won’t be law though will it

I think now we have all had a year of not catching colds so much that some people will see the benefits of better hygiene. Personally I would have no issue with washing my hands (as I always have done) or wearing a mask if I have cold symptoms as many other countries do.

I don't understand why people get so bothered by the thought of spreading less snot about, tbh. You are free to fight for your right to snot on your friends and colleagues of course.

Anyway, the need for measures might go up-down-up-down-up-down potentially, so I guess we will see where we are in a while.

Speak for yourself My last cold was at Christmas..........2012

@MercyBooth

Speak for yourself My last cold was at Christmas..........2012

Well done you!

I'll comply with mask wearing until the youngest group are offered their vaccine. After that if its still mandatory I may need to get myself a sunflower lanyard! Masks have had to biggest personal impact on me out of all the measures due to wearing glasses and misting up. My aunt has struggled a lot as she needs to lip read. These aren't practical for many people in the long term.

I'd rather catch an occasional cold than masks every time I go out.

how does one identify a "leading member" of SAGE?

No no no no no

Those who are saying they "might get a sunflower lanyard". Please don't, that's not what they are for.

@Tumbleweed101

I'll comply with mask wearing until the youngest group are offered their vaccine. After that if its still mandatory I may need to get myself a sunflower lanyard! Masks have had to biggest personal impact on me out of all the measures due to wearing glasses and misting up. My aunt has struggled a lot as she needs to lip read. These aren't practical for many people in the long term.

Why do you need a sunflower lanyard? If you don't have a disability can't you just say you're not complying because you don't want to?

@DumplingsAndStew

Those who are saying they "might get a sunflower lanyard". Please don't, that's not what they are for.

They're seemingly now for the use of people who just don't want to comply but are trying to hide behind an exemption.

Agree, if you're not wearing a mask because you're an arse a freedom fighter, don't get a lanyard you big coward, be loud and proud about your radical opposition to the system.

Lanyards should not be abused by people who are just being difficult.

Also the sunflower lanyards are meant to be a symbol for hidden disabilities, not mask exemption.

@ilovesooty sadly we have created a political environment where the issue of masks has become very toxic. There are plenty of videos about of people being abused/assaulted for not wearing a mask (one horrible one of a woman being shouted at on the underground).
So it's not as easy to just say you're not complying.
I won't comply but I also don't want any confrontation so I will just download a government exempt template onto my phone.
Likewise, I will tell people I have had the vaccine even though I haven't.

@PracticingPerson

Agree, if you're not wearing a mask because you're an arse a freedom fighter, don't get a lanyard you big coward, be loud and proud about your radical opposition to the system.

Lanyards should not be abused by people who are just being difficult.

Yeh, and face idiots like this: Guessing you'd approve of this kind of thing tbf

@englishmaninnewyork

Devi Sridhar told Newsround on kid's tv vaccines were 100 per cent safe for children. 100 PER CENT SAFE. That's a lie, nothing less. Why no repercussions? If this was some anti-vaxxer spreading misinformation they would have been cancelled (and rightly so). So why not the other way round?

If you mean this interview www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57389353.amp It has been amended This article has been amended to remove a reference by a contributor that the Pfizer vaccine is "100% safe".