Why won’t so many Brits wear a mask

[IloveConkers]

I live in mainland Spain where I haven’t seen a single person without a mask in a supermarket since March 2020. I hear it’s the same in Germany and Italy. What is it about so many British people that makes them not do it when it’s clearly safer. I returned to the UK for a visit and found it horrifying. I was even looked at with disdain for wearing one! I just don’t get it!

@LegoPandemic

A lot of people in this country are stupid. 48% voted for Brexit after all!

And at least an equal amount shows there are no benefits (other than psychological)🤷‍♀️

Which is untrue.

I've worn one throughout but these threads do get a bit tiresome. So in answer to your question, it's because you're brilliant and we're all shit.

Plenty of evidence to show benefit (meta analysis showed 53% reduction in transmission)We have been wearing one everywhere despite zero
Cases for months. At work it’s for 10 hours with one break.
It’s fine. It’s literally the easiest positive thing you can do for your fellow human beings. I don’t understand how it would impact on your mental health. I imagine getting covid would make me more anxious.
Mind you if your leader has shown they don’t give a fuck about anyone then it’s hard to feel hugely obliged!
They aren’t super fun. But given the awful time the UK has been through I don’t think it’s the worst thing you have had to deal with. Also “not wanting to deal with covid anymore” doesn’t make it go away!

I'm in Liverpool and I'd say almost everyone is complying here.

I've only noticed a very few people without masks. They could be exempt though rather than none compliant.

Because there are a lot of stupid, selfish people here who are up their own arses.

@Whitefire ooh sorry i forgot arrogant!

and bojo lovers obvs.

Well, given that words have no meaning any more as evidenced by a bunch of people not wearing masks is "horrifying", then what would an emaciated third world village be considered?

Sure, go ahead and throw all the hyperbole at me, call me what ever names you want. I fully embrace them...and will carry on about my own business.

I do wear a mask but I understand why people don't want to. It's because there isn't an end in sight. Covid cases are never going to reduce down to zero. We have vaccines and looks like we will need to top them up every six months or so.

There isn't a thing that can get rid of covid so there isn't a time frame of being done with masks and that makes people not want to bother.

It enters via the eyes. Pop your goggles on.

Oh joy. Anti -English threads. The mask aspect of the OP is a red herring. Just the usual xenophobia. Round of applause.

FYI OP, I’m in London and the majority are wearing masks thought I couldn’t give percentages as I’m busy living my life. Which hasn’t included overseas travel for any reason, weddings, parties, urgent need etc because while being English, I’m also responsible.

@flashria

If we go on in this manner we will never get shot of them. That is my concern. They are unpleasant, suffocating, dehumanising and dystopian, and I can't believe that everyone doesn't agree with this (even if you advocate wearing one at the moment). But the vast majority of people have embraced them with such enthusiasm that if there is no pushback at all they will become normalised to such a degree that we'll be in them forever. I think we're on the way to that already as can be seen from the OP who says everyone where they are has been wearing one without fail for 18 months. I don't want this for our society. They are being seen as a marker of the kind of person you are: wear one = good person, don't wear one = evil person. That's dreadful and will be an enduring viewpoint if we don't at least keep up a dialogue about it. Many people on this thread and others are so keen on them that there will never be a moment where they are happy to say no one needs them any more. After all, we'll all be 'safer' forever in them...what if someone's got any kind of virus at any point in the future? 'better safe than sorry' in perpetuity.... All those people who are 'shocked' to see someone without a mask - what has to happen for you to be happy for them to end? Genuine question.

What a good post 👏

@SpanielsAreMyLife

Yes, we're all so much safer with those grubby fabric facemasks stored at the bottom of grubby handbags/pockets/car doors.

Yes, we are

I think it comes down to some sort of feeling of exceptionalism. Historically speaking it stands to reason why a lot of us feel as though we are 'above' the rules that everyone else can follow without cajooling.

@flashria

If we go on in this manner we will never get shot of them. That is my concern. They are unpleasant, suffocating, dehumanising and dystopian, and I can't believe that everyone doesn't agree with this (even if you advocate wearing one at the moment). But the vast majority of people have embraced them with such enthusiasm that if there is no pushback at all they will become normalised to such a degree that we'll be in them forever. I think we're on the way to that already as can be seen from the OP who says everyone where they are has been wearing one without fail for 18 months. I don't want this for our society. They are being seen as a marker of the kind of person you are: wear one = good person, don't wear one = evil person. That's dreadful and will be an enduring viewpoint if we don't at least keep up a dialogue about it. Many people on this thread and others are so keen on them that there will never be a moment where they are happy to say no one needs them any more. After all, we'll all be 'safer' forever in them...what if someone's got any kind of virus at any point in the future? 'better safe than sorry' in perpetuity.... All those people who are 'shocked' to see someone without a mask - what has to happen for you to be happy for them to end? Genuine question.

Unpleasant: fine, yes, lots of people agree.

Suffocating: again, some people agree. Not sure what kind of mask they're wearing but sure.

Dehumanising: if we accept that widespread mask wearing makes for lower transmission (as the data show) surely there is nothing more human than wearing a mask to keep your fellow man safe?

Dystopian: why? Not everything the government tells you to do is dystopian.

An interesting point about viruses in future - in some countries, mask wearing on public transport/during flu season/if you have a cold is common, and I think that's an admirable approach both to community spiritedness and public health. Even if you personally don't like wearing one, surely you can see there are benefits to e.g. commuting on the tube during flu season and being slightly better protected from getting ill yourself because people around you have chosen to wear a mask if they have cold symptoms that aren't enough to stop them going to work (thank you, capitalism) but may yet develop into the flu?

Personally I'd be happy for widespread mask wearing to go as soon as cases drop right down. But I think they've raised interesting conversations about how conscious we are of general public health measures (and how much of the English public seem furious as being asked to do something to end this bullshit sooner rather than later).

My German friend finds it bizarre that people aren't taking masks seriously in the UK.
As do I.

There seems to be so many, many people now, suffering from PTSD and anxiety that live in the UK but not so much in Europe or other parts of the globe.

I understand that people in other countries are issued with medical exemptions. Maybe the UK should follow suit.

Don't even get me started on that lanyard!

A lot of people here don't take covid very seriously or think they're special or are just selfish. Overblown dramatics about it restricting breathing when it doesn't. A friend just got back from France apparently everyone wears them.

@Grilledaubergines

Oh joy. Anti -English threads. The mask aspect of the OP is a red herring. Just the usual xenophobia. Round of applause.

FYI OP, I’m in London and the majority are wearing masks thought I couldn’t give percentages as I’m busy living my life. Which hasn’t included overseas travel for any reason, weddings, parties, urgent need etc because while being English, I’m also responsible.

Every week same stuff like this

A lot of people have little understanding of risk, statistics and exponential growth, and don't keep up to date with the news. In particular they don't understand that reducing risk even by a small amount will help (even if they shop at Tesco - "every little helps"). Others only care about how they feel at a particular moment.

There are responses on this very thread that demonstrate this.

I admit to becoming a bit pickier as to where I shop!

Because they don't work? The masks have done nothing to stop the virus in places where there has been a high level of compliance.

We have had the jabs, we have worn the masks, done the lockdowns and yet we are again talking about more restrictions.

Maybe it is time to stop pretending a flimsy piece of clothing that many people don't even wash or change often enough is going to make any difference.

Haven't worn a mask for over a year as it was affecting my breathing I have never had Covid. I have several friends and colleagues who have been wearing masks and caught the virus.

I actually wonder whether all this isolation and mask wearing is in fact making people's immune system weaker.

@flashria

"They are unpleasant, suffocating, dehumanising and dystopian". Give me a break! They are none of those things.

But they are! How can you say they aren't? They are unpleasant because they make your face all wet and hot, and suffocating because you can't get a proper breath, dehumanising because we make relationships, connections and perceptions of others from our facial expressions, and dystopian because in our society (and almost all societies) we have had the custom of showing our faces to each other openly. Surely all of that is just fact?

Waves at all the blind and visually impaired people who have just been categorised as unable to make relationships.

I think a lot of people are wondering WHY masks are now mandatory. Most people have had 2 vaccinations, many have had a booster as well. If those jabs don't protect a person from Covid, what was the point in having them? How will a bit of paper across the nose and mouth help?

All the posters flying to England from other countries for non urgent reasons like weddings and then being shocked and horrified by English people being selfish and irresponsible

@AnkleDeep

Mostly because they are a bit thick and haven't read the research.

Or just plain selfish, of course.

This