Surely just bring the mask mandate back now?

[Maskedtonigh]

They are an easy measure that are no real hardship and could help (even if just in a small way) suppress this virus surely we should just bring back our mask mandate now?

Seeing elderly people without a mask blows my mind, the same goes for obese people who don’t look particularly fit and healthy to begin with, do they have any idea of the risk they are taking?

No they haven't got a clue.

The only person capable of making an appropriate risk assessment for themselves and every random 'obese' person in Tesco's is you, grimcognito.

Maybe we should appoint you Minister for Wise Risk Assessment?

And now Pete’s here🙄. It’s almost a full house, just need watapalava, Iced, K5 and Marsha

Literally 1 second before as if by magic there’s Iced 🤣

👋🏼 Hi Icey

And now Pete’s here🙄. It’s almost a full house, just need watapalava, Iced, K5 and Marsha

You could always sound the klaxon for the other side?

Aren't you anti-vax by the way? Apologies if I am wrong but I am sure you have mentioned various times that you won't have the vaccine. All power to you and that but why do you get to pick and choose which particular mandates to cheerlead for?

[quote Thewiseoneincognito]@Bizawit I don’t understand why you’re getting defensive about my comment because you’ll be one of the ones whinging and moaning when we have to lock down to protect the elderly and vulnerable again and it’s infuriating to see how careless some of those most at risk have now become. It’s not through ignorance but because they’ve been falsely led to believe they’re safe.[/quote]
I objected to your comment because I found it to be deeply unpleasant and wrongheaded. And for the record, we don’t have to do anything. And if people like you would exercise a modicum of humility and respect for the personal values, differences, interests and freedoms of others, imv we wouldn’t be.

Thewiseoneincognito true, most people would rather wear a mask than do a full lockdown, but why is that the choice? Various studies have shown mask wearing, particularly cloth/non-surgical masks, have extremely limited affect on transmission. If it were a drug it would have been mothballed at the first trial stage. Mandating masks was never about prevention, more about being seen to be doing something. I haven't got a problem with others wearing masks (although I confess to laughing out loud when i see someone alone in their car masked up) but I have a massive problem with someone, or the government telling me that I must wear something for which the evidence is sketchy at best.

@BogRollBOGOF, it's pretty obvious that you individually would qualify for exemption. The fact that you have genuine difficulties with masks doesn't mean that it shouldn't be made compulsory for those who don't have those difficulties.

we still insist on them in our surgery. I always wear one outside the house as does my husband, my daughters/sons in law also wear them inside shops/offices but not in the street.

It is clear that the very best that can be said for masks is that some types, if worn correctly by everyone, and used in addition to other measures, may perhaps decrease a sick person's viral transmission to others by a very very small amount. That is at absolute best and in fact empirical as opposed to modelling and lab based evidence suggests that that is overstated. As well as not doing anything statistically significant to viral transmission from the mask wearer to others, it is absolutely clear that a mask (unless you are wearing a gas mask) does not protect the wearer.
They are therefore at best a way of trying to help people 'feel' safer, not 'be' safer.
But in fact, even within that context, it is possible that they are making people 'feel' less safe, and so exacerbating health anxiety and generalised anxiety disorders. They have become such a fixation - and this is not a criticism of individuals but a criticism of govt messaging - that people's fear when faced with an unmasked person is ratcheted up in a manner at total odds with mask effectiveness.
So in addition to being fundamentally pointless in respect of viral transmission, they appear to be either pointless at best or deleterious at worst for the mental health of those who want them.
Add to that that they are of course not cost free. Some are provided by the government pursuant to appallingly structured PPE contracts paid for of course by the taxpayer. Others have to be bought at a cost to each individual. Non reusables have to be disposed of - this also costs money.
Without even going into the issues already raised about exemptions, what is clear is that masks have been a very effective tool to divide people and create ableism and hate as a side effect of the fear that they were meant to encourage, so they have had a massive social and political cost.

@QueenofKattegat I’m not anti vax, my second dose is due soon, I was hesitant admittedly but I can see how difficult life is going to get for those who aren’t vaccinated so I made the choice.

Now, do I believe the vaccines will save us from Covid world? Not at all, yes they’ll help to a degree but face masks and restrictions will be key to us managing during the winter.

Thewiseoneincognito why do you believe that surgical masks, with an effectiveness against transmitting infection of c.10-15% will have a greater impact than vaccines that have a c.85% efficacy against infection?

[quote Droite]@BogRollBOGOF, it's pretty obvious that you individually would qualify for exemption. The fact that you have genuine difficulties with masks doesn't mean that it shouldn't be made compulsory for those who don't have those difficulties.[/quote]
Would it be easier if those that are exempt sew a yellow star onto their clothes, just so that they stand out that little bit more as a lower class citizen to those who wear a mask. It is certainly coming across here that many who are keen for a legal mandate being introduced think they are saving the world and that attitude stinks. Perhaps @BogRollBOGOF prefers the optional way so that she doesn't stand out as someone who is exempt. Are the 'really keen for a legal mandate mask wearers' really thinking of everyone else, or is it that they are actually petrified of catching Covid, and in that case they should be investing in a proper medical grade masks. What a bloody world this has turned into.

@Everanewbie because face masks don’t embolden you into believing you are immune which is what happens with the vaccine.

Vaccines will work but it’s not enough on their own which is the issue we have now. Too many people wrongly assumed simply being double jabbed was the ticket to freedom and that everything else could go out of the window. It’s now evident that’s not the case and sacrifices on our part will need to be made and that could mean a return to face masks, wfh, social distancing and capacity limits once again.

My kids school have just said masks back in lessons, corridors etc
I'm glad two out of three of mine are currently positive and the negative one is doing online learning and I really don't want her to catch it at school as she's avoided it from home
My kids have been really poorly with it

"16:17Thewiseoneincognito

@QueenofKattegat I’m not anti vax, my second dose is due soon, I was hesitant admittedly but I can see how difficult life is going to get for those who aren’t vaccinated so I made the choice."

It isn't going to get difficult for unvaccinated people. How and why? Why are you spreading misinformation again?

"16:29Thewiseoneincognito

@Everanewbie because face masks don’t embolden you into believing you are immune which is what happens with the vaccine.

Vaccines will work but it’s not enough on their own which is the issue we have now. Too many people wrongly assumed simply being double jabbed was the ticket to freedom and that everything else could go out of the window. It’s now evident that’s not the case and sacrifices on our part will need to be made and that could mean a return to face masks, wfh, social distancing and capacity limits once again."

@+As posters have clearly stated on here today, most people are not willing to make those sacrifices again.

@Peteycat

"16:17Thewiseoneincognito

@QueenofKattegat I’m not anti vax, my second dose is due soon, I was hesitant admittedly but I can see how difficult life is going to get for those who aren’t vaccinated so I made the choice."

It isn't going to get difficult for unvaccinated people. How and why? Why are you spreading misinformation again?

Wrong side @Peteycat

And now Pete’s here🙄. It’s almost a full house, just need watapalava, Iced, K5 and Marsha

Aw, I got a mention

You guys …

Thewiseoneincognito so you feel masks are psychological?

If you were PM, at what stage would you stop inflicting what are, until March 2020, completely unprecedented and unthinkable rules and restrictions on peoples liberty/agency and businesses?

Zero COVID, i.e. measures stay in place forever? Lower cases? Do we do this for Flu? Andovirus? Rhinovirus? Other common coronavirus'? Where/when is the off switch?

Restrictions by definition restrict economic activity. That is calamitous for the economy and for individuals. For the country and for individuals. Some children starting school now will have no pre-covid memories. Many older and unwell people have limited time left on this planet. Some people, well, just want to live their life, have birthdays, christenings, weddings etc. Others just want to see someone else smile and be able to smile back.

@Ginandfantalemon

"Would it be easier if those that are exempt sew a yellow star onto their clothes, just so that they stand out that little bit more as a lower class citizen to those who wear a mask. It is certainly coming across here that many who are keen for a legal mandate being introduced think they are saving the world and that attitude stinks. Perhaps @BogRollBOGOF prefers the optional way so that she doesn't stand out as someone who is exempt. Are the 'really keen for a legal mandate mask wearers' really thinking of everyone else, or is it that they are actually petrified of catching Covid, and in that case they should be investing in a proper medical grade masks. What a bloody world this has turned into."

No, they are not. I have been explaining this all week to people. It is a choice, I don't question mask wearers. It's totally their business. As for your post I totally agree @Ginandfantalemon,perhaps all these mask lovers need to rethink because perhaps some disabled /exempt people don't want to stand out in society.

*sorry meant to say they are not thinking of everyone else, maybe some are but I think they are projecting their own fears onto others.

"16:37TheKeatingFive

And now Pete’s here🙄. It’s almost a full house, just need watapalava, Iced, K5 and Marsha

Aw, I got a mention smile

You guys …"

Me too!! 😉

@Peteycat

*sorry meant to say they are not thinking of everyone else, maybe some are but I think they are projecting their own fears onto others.

Exactly!

Would it be easier if those that are exempt sew a yellow star onto their clothes, just so that they stand out that little bit more as a lower class citizen to those who wear a mask. It is certainly coming across here that many who are keen for a legal mandate being introduced think they are saving the world and that attitude stinks

@Ginandfantalemon

Ah it wouldn't be a mask thread without causal racism.

Really offensive to use the holocaust and murder of Jewish people to try and score points in an argument about masks. Particularly as I'm guessing you don't particularly care about anti-Semitism when it's not useful to you.

Plenty of people in the Jewish community have asked people to stop doing this.

@Everanewbie

Thewiseoneincognito so you feel masks are psychological?

If you were PM, at what stage would you stop inflicting what are, until March 2020, completely unprecedented and unthinkable rules and restrictions on peoples liberty/agency and businesses?

Zero COVID, i.e. measures stay in place forever? Lower cases? Do we do this for Flu? Andovirus? Rhinovirus? Other common coronavirus'? Where/when is the off switch?

Restrictions by definition restrict economic activity. That is calamitous for the economy and for individuals. For the country and for individuals. Some children starting school now will have no pre-covid memories. Many older and unwell people have limited time left on this planet. Some people, well, just want to live their life, have birthdays, christenings, weddings etc. Others just want to see someone else smile and be able to smile back.

I envy your naïveté, does it come naturally or is it forced?