When would you feel comfortable for things to go back to normal (masks, etc.)

[Suprima]

Made the mistake of wandering onto Facebook and saw someone who is not CEV (I know them well) swearily bemoaning people not wearing masks at an open air garden centre.

My own views are kind of pick and mix re: mask wearing (and happy to be challenged on this)- anything open-air, nope. Spacious but well ventilated area- nope. Busy tube platform or carriage- yes. I am double vaccinated and testing regularly as part of work though, which might make me more lax.

I am aware that some people are wearing them all of the time, at every public event no matter if it’s open air or not. If this is your stance- what environment would make you feel like you could ‘go back to normal’ regarding events and mask wearing?

Not a goady thread at all. I’m curious and wondering if I should be more vigilant.

But @PrincessNutNuts the absence of the vast majority of these schoolchildren is not normal because it is an entirely artificial consequence of poor educational policies which are causing children to miss valuable learning time.

In normal times, we send children with a cough or a sniffle to school. A child with a fever gets calpol and taken to the school gates. We certainly don't keep children who aren't ill off school.

By spring, I'd expect us to see measures introduced to bring us back to normal. Fewer or chargeable LFTs, kids only staying at home if they aren't well etc.

I hope you're as excited about the return of normality as I am.

@scottish83

Sending kids with covid to school because their PCR result isn't back yet, or has been falsified by the lab, is part of why this autumn/winter is set to be as chaotic as the previous one.

Until we control covid numbers, covid will continue to control all our lives and blight our children's education.

No problem was ever solved by pretending it wasn't there.

Not testing people doesn't babe covid go away. It builds up a huge invisible iceberg of infections that eventually leads to overwhelmed health services and mass death.

As Biden inherited in the USA,

And as we learned in the first wave where almost nobody at all had covid because there was no testing, then suddenly thousands of people were dying of it in a single month.

Surely nobody sends a poor sick child with a fever to school?!

I can't imagine schools, the NHS, or anyone this side of the dark ages thinking that was ok.

I feel that in my day to day, things are back to normal now.

Apart from in medical settings, I haven’t worn a mask since July or whenever the mandate ended. I have 2 sons at uni, both are enjoying face to face lectures (and a LOT of socialising). One son living off campus in Nottingham has to get the bus and tram everyday. He reports that he rarely sees anyone wearing a mask.

I’m not wearing a mask very often anymore and am completely back to normal. I don’t give covid much thought in everyday life anymore. Very happy that many others are doing the same.

I haven't worn a mask since the guidelines charged - apart from at the GP where it's still required. Things have been back to normal for me and my family for months now!

I wear one in medical settings, on public transport and if I'm at the cinema/theatre...other than that I haven't worn one since the rules changed in July

I have COVID currently, caught from my son who brought it home from preschool but I've never caught it prior to that, despite not being overly cautious

I'm not particularly concerned about catching it again, it's been like a cold and I'd take 5 doses of COVID over ever getting Flu (which put me in bed for a fortnight aged 21) or Norovirus (which put me in hospital with severe dehydration) again

I don't see the massive issues wearing masks in winter in indoor spaces it helps protect people and makes me feel slightly safer plus would hate be postive and pass it on.

I do feel in minority these days with masks and some people look at me strange but depends where I go.
School open events few weeks back hardly any parents or teachers had masks.
They should have remained as we still in the pandemic.
Maybe when a greater proportion of the UK population has been vaccinated including kids and we over the usual NHS winter pressure then spring 2022.
Other countries are wearing masks even small children.

We have had a very haphazard history with masks in the UK.

I only wear a mask while walking round the hospital I work in. Don't wear them in our office (no patients allowed in there).

I wear a mask on public transport, cramped shops and medical settings.
I've been happy to return to normal since September. We have had covid in our house in the summer (my husband and I didn't catch it from the children) and I had my second vaccination in July.

Here things seem pretty much normal -a few people wearing masks but he majority not. Have been a lot recently to crowded pubs with live music /dancing etc - no masks. I never go to ‘medical settings’ but if I was and was obliged to there would obviously comply.

The buses seem pretty packed these days so wise to wear a mask.
I try and distance in shops where as can and use hand gel.

I’ve not worn a mask unless asked to do so (to be considerate) since they were no longer mandatory. I’ve worked maskless all through with young children climbing and sneezing on me so I don’t feel overly threatened by a trip to the supermarket. My experience of those with COVID has been that it is fairly mild so that will also influence my thoughts on it compared with those who have experienced the more severe effects.

@Tumbleweed101

I’ve not worn a mask unless asked to do so (to be considerate) since they were no longer mandatory. I’ve worked maskless all through with young children climbing and sneezing on me so I don’t feel overly threatened by a trip to the supermarket. My experience of those with COVID has been that it is fairly mild so that will also influence my thoughts on it compared with those who have experienced the more severe effects.

It’s not about you feeling threatened though, it’s about protecting other people. If you’re working with young children you’re at higher risk of catching it and passing it on.

I always wear masks in supermarkets, public transport and all other places where people don’t have much choice about going because I feel it’s just considerate to people who may be more anxious or vulnerable but still need to get on the bus, do their food shop etc.

I wear one on public transport, in shops, anywhere public and indoors really. I’m back to normal in every other way.

Kids are still required to wear them walking between classrooms at school, which is frustrating.

Only wear a mask in medical settings, things are pretty much back to normal it’s the hanger on-ers who love to drag this all out.

@YeOldeTrout

Friend was telling me how vulnerable her boyfriend (older male) is, his medical condition, how he has to be so careful about covid, she had to be vaccinated early to help protect him, etc.... turns out he had it. About a year before they started dating! He felt Rough but not near being hospitalised.

I've heard variations on this a few times -- "so afraid of covid" and turns out they had it already & were ok with it.

I'm tired of being told how paranoid, worried, vigilant we SHOULD be. I'm tired of the constant enjoinder to be anxious and being told (in every area of life, actually) that we are inherently inadequate. It's like the new Puritanism. "Pathogen Age Puritanism?"

The Zero Covid Lot have moved to advocating that social distancing measures (masking indoors as default, 2m, frequent sanitising, plexiglass barriers, lots of asymptomatic testing, vaccine passports, ppl encouraged to only socialise with their fellow vaccinated, etc) should remain forever to keep a lid on all respiratory viruses. They actually think this is fair, sane AND sustainable.

"Normal" ? Bring it On.

Yes! Could not agree more with all of this! Some people will never be happy unless the nanny state is protecting them from every possible risk.

I wear a mask in shops etc. Not many others seem to. One chap actually smirked at me the other day. I nearly followed him down the dairy aisle to tell him that given the Covid rates where I work, he should he bloody relieved I'm wearing a mask. I'm not wearing it because I'm scared I'll catch it from him, I'm wearing it because 75% of my Year 11 class have tested positive and I had a double lesson with Year 9 four days ago and 50% of them are now off with Covid. I am like bloody Covid plutonium, THAT'S why I wear a mask.

nearly followed him down the dairy aisle
Unhinged!
Totally batshit.
I work in a school and lots of year groups have had cases - that’s why I regularly do LFTs all of which have been negative. I don’t grimly go about in a mask as a badge of virtue because it is totally unnecessary.