If you're still mask wearing, when will you stop?

[Fordian]

Do you have a 'line in the sand'?

Depending on what happens with numbers and variants- I'm thinking 'once all adults have had the chance to be double vaxxed'.

@clarkkentsglasses

I don't get this attitude of wearing one if you're sick

Why the hell would you knowingly go out sick anyway?

Pre Covid, I would never have gone out if me or my DC had been sick, colds, sick bugs etc - why would anyone be prepared to pass that on amongst other families or at work?

So I'm not going to start going out sick now with or without a mask

You never go out when you have a cold? Most people have to get on with life.

I don't have a "line in the sand" as such. But in terms of what counts as "low" rates, I'd be thinking along the lines of Covid rates consistently below 50 per 100,000 people for a period of months. Maybe it's sensible to retain mask wearing indefinitely in hospital/doctors' waiting rooms where a higher proportion of people present are likely to be vulnerable.

I’ll definitely be wearing one in all indoor public places until at least two weeks after I’ve had my second jab which isn’t for a while. I’d consider wearing one on public transport forever/every winter.

I think I will stop wearing one permanently once we reach 90% fully vaccinated among adults.

On public transport I don't think I'll ever stop. As I've seen from an earlier poster I'll continue in other indoor places when at risk of passing on coughs and sneezes. Having been to some other countries where mask wearing is commonplace I think I would like to see people continue with masks as a matter of courtesy going forward!

Most people will stop wearing them when "I wear one to protect others" goes out of fashion. If i hear one more person say that like a robot........

I'm double vaxed, but want to try to avoid catching or spreading if I can. Research showing cognitive impairment on high numbers of people who have had covid both mildly and seriously scares me, as does long covid - both have huge health and financial impacts. I'm wearing masks in shops and will wear on transport etc. I am sticking with outside for the kids for now and trying to do play dates at outside places where we can etc. If I'm in someone's house I won't wear one unless they want me to, which hasn't happened yet. I'm glad that hospitalisations and deaths are so low compared to what they would have been without vaccinations, but also conscious that lots of people can't have or haven't had chance to be double vaccinated yet. I also know people who don't make the hospital stats (lips weren't blue enough), but are physically fucked a year on. It's a nasty virus and I wish cases were lower. I don't think the NHS did cope, despite government rhetoric. Lots of people were turned away, staff/patient ratios were ridiculously stretched, non-covid patients have been screwed, hospital staff have been screwed. Non-covid treatments are obviously going to be more and more affected as hospitalisations rise.

Obviously risk goes up even more when isolation gets cancelled for lots of people soon. Some employers will be happy for people to wfh where they can if for e.g. they are living with a covid positive person, some won't. Those with more understanding employers obviously have bigger control over not infecting others, so indirectly help everyone I guess.

In a nutshell, I'm staying outside where possible, wearing a mask inside shops etc at least until case numbers are a lot lower. Looking forward to theatre etc at that point. I miss it. I'll probably continue to wear mask inside public places if have a cold etc as that does seem a sensible courtesy now.

When I'm no longer required to wear one as standard at work. With the guidance changing next month about no SI if in contact with a positive case, and everything opening back up I think this is going to pose more of a risk for settings like mine (care home) and when it gets in, and it'll be a miracle if it doesn't, I want to know that I have done everything I feasibly could to try and stop that happening.
I'm unable to SI anyway, if I'm exposed, because I can't afford to put my job at risk, but this I can do, even if in reality it doesn't make that much of a difference overall it's something.
I've already read far too many comments about care workers being 'allowed' to kill the elderly and vulnerable by carrying it into homes, I honestly don't think I can take much more.
I also know that other things like colds and flu can affect the people I work with, and that they should probably be protected against those as well as covid despite historically being expected to work when you have them.
The person in front of me on the bus or in the supermarket queue might have any of those things, it's up to others if they decide not to wear one.

Haven’t really thought about it.. I imagine it’s something I’ll start to forget about as time goes on. I don’t like them very much but I feel like I still want to do my bit. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Went to Asda in the really dodgy end of town today. I’d say 75% not wearing a mask. 25% were. Conversely, in the co-op in my parents fairly well to do village, 95% are still wearing them. Its curious.. I do wonder why it’s so different in the ‘posh’ part of our area compared to the very poor area..”

Once my baby is born.

I've stopped because I'm vaccinated and had covid very recently, most likely delta, so if I'm ever likely to not have covid it's right now.. if studies show immunity from vaccination AND infection fade after e.g. 6 or 12 months then I'll cross that bridge when I get to it..

@Bobholll

Haven’t really thought about it.. I imagine it’s something I’ll start to forget about as time goes on. I don’t like them very much but I feel like I still want to do my bit. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Went to Asda in the really dodgy end of town today. I’d say 75% not wearing a mask. 25% were. Conversely, in the co-op in my parents fairly well to do village, 95% are still wearing them. Its curious.. I do wonder why it’s so different in the ‘posh’ part of our area compared to the very poor area..”

I suspect (and it’s not going to be a popular answer) but it will likely be down to education levels. Money buys a high standard of general education 🤷‍♀️

@monstermunch1

Most people will stop wearing them when "I wear one to protect others" goes out of fashion. If i hear one more person say that like a robot........

That’s intriguing. Why does it irritate you so much that people give that as the reason why they are wearing a mask? Do you disapprove of people having consideration for others?

I’ll keep wearing mine until the numbers are stable for a good few months at a low level, probably around 30 per 100000 would be my line in the sand. I’d also be influenced by advice that comes from the WHO on the matter.
I can see me wearing them in certain situations indefinitely as some other countries have done for years.

I’ll stop when the scientist say COVID is no longer a significant risk. So low or zero case numbers for a few month/S. So a bit like cold and flu season. Until then it’s staying on I do not trust people.

In Wales and we are still required to wear them here.

I basically have the same attitude to mask-wearing as I do to taking off my shoes in other people's houses - I'm not actually very fussed about it, but I'll do it if asked or if I can tell they'd prefer I did. So I wore a mask on the bus today and in all shops with signs up saying they'd like them to be worn but I didn't wear it in the hairdressers because she wasn't and nor was the one other customer so I assume they felt fine about everyone being maskless. I'd be happy to take mine off but I don't want to make anyone else feel uncomfortable by being maskless in a space where they'd prefer them.

The one thing that actually might get me to take my off more is if I get a really runny nose and tickly throat - I understand the logic about not passing on colds but I had to wear a mask while I had a heavy cold a few months ago and it was just so unpleasant.

@Ivy48

I’ll stop when the scientist say COVID is no longer a significant risk. So low or zero case numbers for a few month/S. So a bit like cold and flu season. Until then it’s staying on I do not trust people.

You don’t trust people? This thread was a bleak read as it was…then this gem. You need to be wearing more than a mask if you want to protect yourself from all the risks that can be associated with “people”.

@Dyra

When my work (hospital) says I no longer have to. Until then I'll keep wearing one in shops, public transport, and other enclosed spaces.

I suspect hospitals will require them for evermore, personally.

I don't get this attitude of wearing one if you're sick

Why the hell would you knowingly go out sick anyway?

Pre Covid, I would never have gone out if me or my DC had been sick, colds, sick bugs etc - why would anyone be prepared to pass that on amongst other families or at work?

So I'm not going to start going out sick now with or without a mask

I think with coughs/colds there are levels where you might feel really unwell or be coughing and sneezing a lot where you might not leave the house... but you might have several more mild colds a year and a lot of people couldnt realistically stop going to the shops/work (if you work outside the house) or taking kids to activities because they had a runny nose. Similarly in normal times if kids are feeling really unwell with a cold I might keep them off school but not for every cold. Would obviously not go out or send kids to school with D and v, chicken pox etc (although I did take DS to a country park once on a fairly cold day after he had been sick- I decided we would be far enough away from others for him to infect them)

In answer to the original question I will probably wear a mask until covid is at lower levels and there arent high rates of community infection or it has been deemed less dangerous and more akin to the common cold

Exactly @CaptainMyCaptain .... people need to realise we need to learn to live with Covid like we do colds .....

I think that's a good point... I've found it much more pleasant not having colds, which is a reason I think I'll keep on wearing a mask in certain situations indefinitely.

Don't you need to be exposed to viruses to build up a healthy immune system though?

Either when cases go down to a sensible level or once schools settle down to not be sending kids home constantly with COVID.