People really have had enough haven’t they?

[DontWantTheRivalry]

I was in my local newsagent this morning and it was me, two women behind the counter and 7 other shoppers.

5 of us were quite huddled together whilst waiting to pay, so we were very close to the staff members behind the till too, and the other two people were still shopping.

Of the ten of us in the shop, which is quite a small newsagents I was the only one wearing a mask and nobody was even bothered that nobody else was. I mean, the shop assistants aren’t going to make an issue of it seeing as they don’t wear masks either.

I felt like such an idiot as I stood there wearing one.

I’m not threatened by Covid, I would love for things to go back to being mask-free, I only wear one because guidance says to rather than because I want to, but I was just so surprised that nobody else was wearing one too.

I felt so uncomfortable wearing one and I think if my hands weren’t full of food and things I probably would have taken mine off because I just felt silly.

It really has made me think that people have just had enough haven’t they?

I find it hard to believe you OP.
Masks on almost everyone here and lanyards are there instead if someone isn’t wearing a mask.

I don't think wearing a mask is a bad thing tbh ,i had a pretty nasty non covid virus that floored me for weeks , maybe I could have avoided it if I had worn a mask

That's actually a bad thing - your immune system has to keep working and be exposed to mild viruses like colds!

Reckon maybe 30-40% of people wear masks here in my NW city. Husband works in retail and wears a mask but has to deal with gobshites coming in coughing all over him and giving him grief for wearing a mask. I don't care why people don't wear masks until it affects our personal finances- we're vaxxed and masked because we can't afford to have to isolate. If he gets ill because of these arseholes then he's on ssp and we lose more money than we can afford to which means we don't put petrol in the car/ don't eat so the kids can. Utterly selfish knobheads.

@doublemonkey

I think most people have had covid now or direct experience with someone in the household having it. Even though they've all been jabbed.

The vast majority of those experiences have been mild colds. People are realising there is a disconnect between what they've been told, and actual reality.

It's hard to keep believing the lies after that.

Indeed, predictions of 1 million cases a day by New Years and 6000 deaths a day by the middle of January if we didn’t lock down for Christmas were the predictions from Sage.

That hasn’t come to pass, like the 100k cases a day with the freedom day in June. It took till winter and a new variant to get to that level.

I do hope there’s not a much more serious variant in the future though as who will believe them?

With 3 shots, a milder variant, better treatments, that fear has dissipated very strongly for the majority.

Yes!

Additionally, masks prevent you getting exposed to other mild viruses - this is actually bad as your immune system has to keep 'working' to function well!

*Indeed, predictions of 1 million cases a day by New Years and 6000 deaths a day by the middle of January if we didn’t lock down for Christmas were the predictions from Sage.

That hasn’t come to pass, like the 100k cases a day with the freedom day in June. It took till winter and a new variant to get to that level.*

Exactly. People are realising that omicron is not as dangerous as some had predicted.

6000 deaths a day by the middle of January if we didn’t lock down for Christmas were the predictions from Sage.

I forgot this. We are so far off this

They really got it wrong. Tg we didn’t lockdown and cause huge damage

@Blubells

With 3 shots, a milder variant, better treatments, that fear has dissipated very strongly for the majority.

Yes!

Additionally, masks prevent you getting exposed to other mild viruses - this is actually bad as your immune system has to keep 'working' to function well!

I’m actually wondering if the fact that good masks do stop your immune system being challenged could be an important (negative) factor.

Perhaps one reason why Germany has seemingly not done as well through this, despite being much better prepared and equipped.

I live in Wales and I'd say the majority of people are still wearing masks. You're right though, we've all had enough and we nerd to move on.

@TheLovelinessOfDemons

Tell that to my adult son who could die if he catches it, and only recently is allowed out of his house, only for a 10 minute walk every day.

I'm sorry son remains at high risk, but how can he only be "allowed" out for a ten minutes walk?... And even then only recently?

Quite apart from no one ever being under effective house arrest, the timing seems very strange with Omicron surging?

Don't you think a lot of infections were avoided by people changing their behaviour- all the restaurant cancellations, empty pubs as well prior to Christmas?.It also reduces numbers to cut out PCR tests today as that looks good politically - you are reliant on people themselves reporting positives.Then Johnson can deliver his victory speech which he had prepared

As for masks there is evidence for their benefit

@Blubells

*Indeed, predictions of 1 million cases a day by New Years and 6000 deaths a day by the middle of January if we didn’t lock down for Christmas were the predictions from Sage.

That hasn’t come to pass, like the 100k cases a day with the freedom day in June. It took till winter and a new variant to get to that level.*

Exactly. People are realising that omicron is not as dangerous as some had predicted.

Based on ONS figures it seems we are actually experiencing 1/2 million cases daily (only a proportion will be "confirmed"), but it's the lack of translation into deaths that's key.

Of course everyone has had enough but that's not how pandemics work

treeflowercat- what about long Covid ?

@WouldIBeATwat

The mask protects other people from you, not you from them.

FFP3 masks protect the wearer pretty effectively too I believe.

The mask wearing depend where you live, around my area most people wears mask, but if you travel to next town, there is a completely different story.

And before the anti- lockdown brigade start I'm not pro-lockdown but wearing a mask is a simple mitigation

Where are you op? Pretty much full mask compliance here.

I’m from a town that is on the outskirts of the Warwickshire border.

I wear a mask because I have to, not. Expanse I want to or feel I need to.

As a previous poster said, the fear has gone for a lot of people as they are triple vaccinated and feel like should just be getting on with their life now.

I think this way of thinking is becoming much more common.

Of course everyone has had enough but that's not how pandemics work

It is how public buy-in with regards to restrictions work

@lovescats3

treeflowercat- what about long Covid ?

Realistically I think that's just a risk we have to face as a society. I'm not going to curtail my life due to it.

And short of eliminating Covid, which is totally unrealistic, what's the alternative? All suppression and restrictions do is spread the same risk over a longer period if Covid can't be gotten rid of. There may be a place for restrictions to prevent services from being overwhelmed, but these should only be short term measures.

@DontWantTheRivalry

Where are you op? Pretty much full mask compliance here.

I’m from a town that is on the outskirts of the Warwickshire border.

I wear a mask because I have to, not. Expanse I want to or feel I need to.

As a previous poster said, the fear has gone for a lot of people as they are triple vaccinated and feel like should just be getting on with their life now.

I think this way of thinking is becoming much more common.

Interesting as compliance is near 100% where I am in Suffolk.

@TheLovelinessOfDemons

That doesn’t really make much sense. Who was not allowing your son to go out, even for a ten minute walk, until recently?

I think it’s more of a case that people have ‘bigger worries’ than Covid.

Currently I’m too busy marking mock exams, doing parents evenings, writing reports, worry about Ofsted coming in.

Day to day I don’t ‘see’ Covid. I rush my kids off to breakfast club, work, pick them up, rush off to clubs etc …

I don’t think I’m unique in my situation.

Not round here.
I was impressed seing everyone in our local large Sainsburys wearing masks and spacing out the queues.
There was one person (customer) without a mask in our garage.
The only place I have been aware of 'moving on' was in Kwikfit - man behind the desk not in a mask, and two of the four people waiting. I went in masked, then waited outside. My dad is CEV - I need to keep minimising risk.