Are people no longer bothered by Covid….?

[Iwannabelikeyouohh]

Is anyone actually bothered about Covid?
From places I’ve been recently, everyone is just “normal”

I took my son to a toddler class this morning.

I walked in wearing my mask. Room full of 19 other adults and their toddlers.

Not one single adult had a mask on (expect me)
There was no distancing in the class.
It was as normal as normal can be.

I joined a new slimming class tonight.

Again I walked in wearing a mask. No one else had one on.
All chairs pushed up together, people sat close.

I don’t get it.

How can we go from distancing, mask wearing, avoiding people on walks (which is exactly what it was like) to nothing….

Masks are still mandatory in Scotland indoors and in public transport. Yet Scotland has a higher rate than England. Therefore it doesn’t seem like masks make any difference.
We have to get back to living our lives as normally as possible again. Covid is with us to stay.

@2Two

And that’s absolutely fine and completely your decision. You can’t enforce others to think like that though…

Where did I say I thought I should, @TableFlowerss? Why would you assume that others don't know how the law works?

I don’t assume you don’t know how the law works, but I assume by your first @TableFlowerss you think people should wear masks (despite them not mandatory) and that you think those those that do, hold some sort of moral superiority……

@Washeduponthebeach

Masks are still mandatory in Scotland indoors and in public transport. Yet Scotland has a higher rate than England. Therefore it doesn’t seem like masks make any difference. We have to get back to living our lives as normally as possible again. Covid is with us to stay.

This! If mask were so effective, Scotland would have all but eradicated it by now. Oh wait….. they haven’t though…… 🤔

No I am not bothered by Covid now. Complied with all the restrictions, got the vaccines, now have to get on with my life. Glad to hear parents AREN'T wearing masks in op's mother and toddler group. Awful for toddlers speech, language and communication development. Mask wearing also signals to children that there is danger out there, causing a lot of anxiety in some children with subsequent behaviour problems.

I am not bothered by covid, although I do instinctively react to coughing in my vicinity

@Washeduponthebeach

Masks are still mandatory in Scotland indoors and in public transport. Yet Scotland has a higher rate than England. Therefore it doesn’t seem like masks make any difference. We have to get back to living our lives as normally as possible again. Covid is with us to stay.

I think it depends what masks people are wearing I mean you can say you wear a mask and it's one piece of cotton pulled over your mouth or chin, not nose that you never wash and sometimes forget to wear. Or your could be in an FFP2 one... I think if everyone had medical grade ones and wore them as they should be worn then yes it would make a difference because it's protecting yourself. The other masks.. probably not

@DoesHePlayTheFiddle

I still wear mine. People stare.

Me too and I don't care.

“I’m double jabbed” mixing with lots of people without masks and not socially distancing.

Yet those not vaxed are the issue?

@Talktalkchat

“I’m double jabbed” mixing with lots of people without masks and not socially distancing.

Yet those not vaxed are the issue?

If you read this thread - well, yes.

I still wear a mask indoors as do my family. Other European countries are and their case rates are much lower. In this country we are just burying our heads in the sand. Also, all those saying kids not affected might be interested in this…

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/swansea-coronavirus-covid-hospitals-children-21714639?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

So according to posters on this thread, the approved way to show I am “bothered” about covid is to wear an FFP2/3 mask? Is that right? Any other sort of face covering, or no covering at all, shows that I’m selfish and don’t care?

I'm double vaxxed as are most people so I'm largely just getting on with life as normal. I've worked right through it anyway and now just feel that they've done all they can by rolling out the vaccines, so it's time to just crack on.

That said if I'm somewhere where everyone is wearing a mask, I'll wear one too just for the sake of appearances.

Lost my dad to covid and I find it difficult every day. Have friends who are very ill at the moment (double jabbed and no health conditions). It is very real and people can be very ill. Know a very fit and healthy 30 yr old in ICU. I am not flippant but understand people being sick of it. I'm sick of it. Losing someone and hearing covid death talk every day is exhausting. Stay safe x

@TableFlowerss

Exactly- where does it end in that case? No one will ever answer that question though….. all those happy to have restrictions placed on them can never actually answer the above question….. ever!!! So don’t expect a reply

Agreed. Those keen on maintaining restrictions often say that those who aren't are in denial and thinking that Covid will just disappear. I'd argue the exact opposite...

Unfortunately with the Delta variant, the vaccines - though they protect against serious disease - won't be enough to enable Covid to be eradicated, however much we wear masks, socially distance and sanitise. Those things might suppress numbers somewhat if we all did them, but as soon as we stop, infections will simply bounce back.

So it's not a case of mask wearing and socially distancing for another few months, or even couple of years, Covid won't "magically" disappear over that time, so if you're still arguing for restrictions like FFP2 masks for all, distanced outdoor socialising, and other intrusive restrictions, then there's no way out... that would be the "new normal", not for the next six months or year until Covid blows away, but for generations

I’ve never been overly bothered but stuck to the rules. I have to wear a mask all day at work so it’s a relief to be able to go without in most places now, I’ve been out to clubs a few times over the last month and it’s honestly been the most amazing feeling just to mix with people, smile at them etc. I LFT twice a week and have never shown positive which I found surprising with the amount of people I have mixed with. I’m triple vaccinated now (just had booster) so I’m not suppressing my life anymore

The problem with mask wearing is that unless it's done for all social interactions, and not just certain situations, then it won't really do much to numbers.

If i wear a mask to the shops but then see some friends for a coffee unmasked an hour later, then I'm exposed in the more risky situation... It's a bit like expecting to lose weight by having celery for lunch...and then having a massive slab of cake straight after.

Unless we all wore proper masks (FFP3 etc), for ALL our social interactions outside the home -which people understandably don't want to do - then the impact of masks will be limited.

Making people wear masks won't reduce numbers significantly to relieve the NHS crisis- that's not just caused by people throwing their masks away- it's a whole other story!

No point in wearing a mask in quite empty M&S and then going up to their busy cafe and not wearing one

Nope, not bothered. I seem to live in an area where everyone is still wearing masks, which is absolutely their choice, but the looks I get for not wearing one!

I went in a shop yesterday to browse, and was the only customer in there. I didn't have to go anywhere near the cashier as I probably wouldn't have bought anything, but she walked right up to me to give me a mask to put on... Where's the logic?!

I was extremely cautious until I'd had my second jab, but now I wonder at what point people will stop wearing masks, distancing etc? Yes, cases are high, but covid isn't going anywhere - precautions or not! Time to live freely again after 18 months of being told what we can and can't do.

I think the data is (cautiously) supporting getting back to close to normality now.

Despite (slightly) rising cases, we are seeing declining hospitalisations and seeing lower deaths.

If the NHS can cope with normality due to the vaccinations, we should allow COVID to propagate and attenuate, like all the other viruses we live with.

I was quite a militant mask wearer and distancer, when the data supported it, and that may well happen again. But right now, allowing an r number of about 1, and letting younger children get immunity via infection is probably the best strategy.

Data is king, though, so we need to keep an eye on it.

@Warhertisuff

So it's not a case of mask wearing and socially distancing for another few months, or even couple of years, Covid won't "magically" disappear over that time, so if you're still arguing for restrictions like FFP2 masks for all, distanced outdoor socialising, and other intrusive restrictions, then there's no way out... that would be the "new normal", not for the next six months or year until Covid blows away, but for generations

I'm interested to know where you got this from? Is there a study saying this or are you simply having a punt?

Agreed. Those keen on maintaining restrictions often say that those who aren't are in denial and thinking that Covid will just disappear. I'd argue the exact opposite...

Agree as a group they probably think it’s less likely to disappear than others.

Masks reduce risks. Scotland’s cases may have been much higher if they’d dropped mask wearingZ it’s not all or nothing. Every mitigation helps. People are still dying, many of them vaccinated. Stop being selfish.

I am an anxious person but weirdly was never anxious about catching COVID, more worried for elderly relatives. I followed the guidance. At the moment I tend to take my leave from the circumstances around me. If in shops the staff are wearing masks (or most customers) I will wear a mask. Mainly to be honest, out of respect for those around me.

I wear one on trains (even though most don't now), although I also find if you are wearing a mask people won't sit next to you if other seats are available. Which is nice. To be honest I also sometimes like the anonymity it provides in those situations - like wearing sunglasses.

I think though it is almost impossible for people to remain on high alert endlessly, it is against human nature. Even in hostage situations, after the initial fear has passed people relax and start to behave as normal. I think the UK has reached that saturation point now, where regardless of the risk normal routines and life resumes.

@AlixandraTheGreat

I'm interested to know where you got this from? Is there a study saying this or are you simply having a punt?

It’s been reported consistently that COVID is never going away:

The first thing to say is that there is a general consensus that Covid-19 will never go away

Our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be getting infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/covid-never-go-away-lifting-24466487.amp