I'm happy masks are back !

[genuinequestion21]

I mean, of course I would rather the pandemic was completely over. But whilst cases are high, I'm happy they're back. I never stopped wearing mine.

And now I'm more comfortable going into shops with my unmasked DD. Feels a bit safer for her. She's too young to wear a mask.

@Cariah

Masks protect others not yourself. I wore a mask all along but I was aware that I wasn’t protected, because other people’s masks (which they weren’t wearing) would protect me more than my own mask. So I’m glad everyone has to wear a mask again. Especially because my youngest child is too young for a mask so it’s safer for him to go to the shops now.

If you wear an FFP3 mask, it also protects you to a certain extent.

Juts got back from the supermarket, not a mask in sight only on the staff. I don't know why the government thought they'd be able to successfully bring this mandate back.

Disappointed that supermarkets aren’t denying entry to people with no masks or asking them to leave. If that’s the law then they need to comply unless exempt.

@Cariah

Disappointed that supermarkets aren’t denying entry to people with no masks or asking them to leave. If that’s the law then they need to comply unless exempt.

They would have to put a member of staff on the door and I can't see anyone volunteering for that. The security guards specifically employed to watch on numbers going in at supermarkets are now long gone.

Well Piers Corbyn either hasn't thought his argument out properly... or he regularly risks arrest for indecent exposure (and possibly assault).

His new song - 'wearing a mask is like trying to keep a fart in your trousers’... Erm, I'd hope so in public, Piers.

I mean, seriously. Does he pull down his trousers (and pants?) and bare his arse to let rip in public?

metro.co.uk/2021/11/29/piers-corbyn-leads-anti-maskers-in-song-about-farts-and-covid-on-tube-15684067/

(Seriously though, I genuinely think he needs help. I hope he gets some because it's hard to watch someone having a public breakdown - even if they hold wildly different, often unpleasant, views to others)

If that’s the law then they need to comply unless exempt.

All you need to be exempt is to declare that you're exempt so how would that work exactly?

Nobody - including myself - wearing a covering in my busy uni shop. It’s almost farcical.

@hamstersarse

But whilst cases are high,

Are they? Have I missed something? Cases have been pretty steady for months. Deaths are down.

What has happened that makes you think wearing a mask will make any difference?

Scotland have had masks throughout, it has literally changed nothing. Nothing.

I know people feel like they need to contribute and it is all done in good faith, but just look at the evidence for them. There is no evidence to say they make any difference. None.

What might make a difference is getting yourself healthy and not being obese, taking a vaccine, even taking Vit D - but masks, it's just pure diversion tactics from the government so they can't be accused of not doing anything from the panicked set.

Yep. Masks are purely totemic at this stage, make people feel safe, like prayer beads. I don't really care if I have to wear one but I don't think for one second they make a damn bit of difference to covid spread and I only have to look at Scotland Wales and Ireland to see that borne out.

@Cariah

Disappointed that supermarkets aren’t denying entry to people with no masks or asking them to leave. If that’s the law then they need to comply unless exempt.

After the abuse my pregnant DD got when she was gifted the onerous task of mask checking shoppers, I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to do that again. Perhaps when the government bring these mandates in they should bear in mind its often just one or two regular members if staff having to police this and its most definitely not in their job description to deal with verbal abuse from shoppers. Some of the bigger stores had security to do the job, but the smaller town stores didn't have that luxury then nor do they now.

@Tealightsandd

Wow, that video is.... something else. Why are they being so aggressive?

Masks are purely totemic at this stage, make people feel safe, like prayer beads.

Wrong. Expert opinion varies on the extent of protection but generally the consensus is that they do make a difference. How much depends on several factors. Including type of mask, how and when it's worn, and what other mitigations are in place alongside.

Just like making a cake, each individual ingredient has a part to play.

Separately, health is holistic. Physical and psychological health is interlinked. Feeling safer reduces stress... which reduces inflammation... Lower inflammation, stronger immune system.

And, masks work two ways. First to protect the wearer (how much is contested but it definitely gives some protection) - but equally as important (and too often dismissed by the anti maskers) is that masks protect others. Including the most vulnerable.

After the abuse my pregnant DD got when she was gifted the onerous task of mask checking shoppers, I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to do that again. Perhaps when the government bring these mandates in they should bear in mind its often just one or two regular members if staff having to police this and its most definitely not in their job description to deal with verbal abuse from shoppers. Some of the bigger stores had security to do the job, but the smaller town stores didn't have that luxury then nor do they now

Yy it's just not worth it. You spend longer arguing with people than they would have been in the shop if you'd just let them get on with it. More trouble than its worth. And then they all just go buy a sunflower lanyard anyway.

I'm.sick to death of people expecting shop staff to refuse to serve them.or make them.divulge personal details to then decide if their exemption stands. If we see a lanyard we don't ask questions. If they say they r exempt we don't ask questions. That's between Dr and patient. Not my business.

I just can't believe that we are 2 years into the pandemic and still having this discussion.:( When will it end?

[quote DumplingsAndStew]@Tealightsandd

Wow, that video is.... something else. Why are they being so aggressive?[/quote]
I wouldn't want to be around that lot after they've eaten a hearty meal...

Would definitely need a mask 🤢 An eye mask too to spare me the trouserless arses.

He clearly needs help. The aggression is a mask for his own fear, I suspect. He seems unwell. Shouldn't be allowed to intimidate other passengers and vandalise public transport though.

@Whatwouldscullydo I'll never forget my DD calling me in tears because she'd asked someone if he was exempt and he'd spit on her and said some awful things about what should happen on her walk home from work. She was 12 weeks pregnant at the time and absolutely in pieces. The shopper was actually removed from the store and banned. She spoke to her manager and was taken off the door, that was the end of that. No one else wanted that task after that at her small store, so from then on it wasn't policed.

I'd Boris wants masks back in shops let him send some heavies in to help, and foot the bill. I'm sure if they're that serious about masks being essential to slow the spread of Omicron he won't mind.

Oh god Kurt your poor dd

A big reason why masks were introduced was the fallacy that 1 in 3 people were asymptomatic.

That number has very quietly been changed to 1 in 7 recently. And even that is controversial.

Most people are testing immediately when they have symptoms. Still over 1 million PCRs a day, god knows how many LFTs.

If I don’t have the disease, I can’t spread it to anyone. I know there isn’t any point in writing that fact here but there you go, if I don’t have it, I can’t spread it, mask or no mask.

Masks don't work though. Look at wales, where they never stopped
Wearing them and their number have been higher than England

@onedancewway

Masks don't work though. Look at wales, where they never stopped Wearing them and their number have been higher than England

How do you know that Wales’s numbers wouldn’t have been even higher without masks though?

"How do you know that Wales’s numbers wouldn’t have been even higher without masks though?"

We don't know that. But what we do know is that their cases were not lower despite mask wearing.

@MLMshouldbeillegal

It's MN Mask thread bingo time again. Eyes down, dabber out. grin Special prizes for key words.

Selfish

Anti-maskers

If you don't like a mask you'd hate a ventilator

Didn't look disabled

I have asthma and I can wear one

If you won't wear a mask then just stay at home

I'm not doing it to protect myself, but to protect others

Can you wear a face visor?

I don't believe X% of people were exempt anyway

In Spain/Italy/other random country everyone wears masks and nobody complains

Dangling on their chin

Disposables littering the street

Think that's about everything, have I missed anything to be added to the MN covid mask bingo card? We've never ditched the mask mandate in Scotland so it's same old same old here. Most people wear them, some don't, find it very difficult to get wound up about people who choose not to to be honest.

Don’t forget

“You’re killing granny!”

Agreed, it means I don't have to bother with makeup!

@Sparklingbrook

I can imagine a lot of that going on sadly. People going into shops maskless on purpose just to get a reaction and maybe an argument. It would be like a real life AIBU thread.

Here’s a weird thought. Maybe maskless people go into shops because they need to do some shopping.

Here’s a weird thought. Maybe maskless people go into shops because they need to do some shopping

Another weird thought-some people love a row.

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

Well I'm watching Nicola Sturgeon right now, going into detail, telling us to stick up on tests etc she seems outraged their are now multiple cases in Scotland!

She is very believable... I'd listen to her. Be interesting to see Boris next move, if he bothers

She can fuck off. She wasn’t so worried about Covid when she was hosting her big international navel gazing COP event.