Why are we still wearing masks?

[Couldntrememberthewordbasket]

I’m not in the U.K.

Where I am, we still have to wear masks in the supermarket/petrol stations etc..we’ve never not had to,
The U.K. don’t, right?
Why are we still having to do this? I can’t see it ending, will be so very odd going shopping without masks

WITH covid not BY covid

Ah yes of course sorry. Yes, because of lack of mitigations and the resulting widespread Covid in the community, something like 40% of Covid infections were caught in hospital...by vulnerable patients...who then had to battle Covid as well as whatever they were in for. All too often sadly losing the fight.

Wales and Scotland never stopped wearing masks (although compliance has dropped massively). England completely did away with masks on "freedom day" but introduced them again at the end of 2021 in certain settings

@Tealightsandd

WITH covid not BY covid

Ah yes of course sorry. Yes, because of lack of mitigations and the resulting widespread Covid in the community, something like 40% of Covid infections were caught in hospital...by vulnerable patients...who then had to battle Covid as well as whatever they were in for. All too often sadly losing the fight.

You're not wrong @Tealightsandd. People like to find any reason to try and claim that COVID hasn't really killed that many people after all because it's inconvenient to them to believe otherwise.

Asian countries have been wearing masks without complaint for years. In the UK, people have been raging as if they'd been asked to sacrifice their only child. If there's ever an event which genuinely has the potential to end civilisation we'd be screwed in the UK. All of this has demonstrated just how many people aren't prepared to consider the impact on others.

In my area there are still loads of - primarily young people - who saunter in and out of shops etc with no mask on. Of course you can't tell who's medically exempt but it's unlikely that an entire group would ALL be unable to wear one. The majority of people COULD wear a mask even if technically they could claim an exemption. If you really can't, you can't and that's fair enough. But we all owe it to each other to at least try.

We've lost our ability to be compassionate to others. For you COVID might be mild. You might not feel worried about how ill you'll be. But there are countless others who are compromised, and if you can wear a little bit of cloth over your face to protect them, just why wouldn't you do it?!

Fuck knows!

There are risks associated with breathing in partials from masks, but that's been swept aside, I found both German and Chinese research on the a few days ago.

I dread to think masks coming back to haunt us in 10 years time. Especially when children have been wearing them so much.

Going forwards we'd do well to adopt the East Asian civic minded culture of wearing masks when sick out of courtesy and decency towards others.

The virus in one form or another is with us for your life and everybody else's. Get used to it, it is not going away.

Especially when children have been wearing them so much.

Decades in East Asia with no ill effect (unless you count economic and academic success as harmful).

[quote Couldntrememberthewordbasket]@Tealightsandd It’s ok, I didn’t say they didn’t, I was curious why England had stopped and where I am never stopped.[/quote]
So why did you say UK? 🤔

@Flipflopblowout

The virus in one form or another is with us for your life and everybody else's. Get used to it, it is not going away.

Likewise the need for mitigations (masks, HEPA filters or corsi-rosenthal boxes). Just as with seat belts and child seats.

Of course, further down the line we'll also have more of the rest of the world vaccinated (reducing the likelihood of dangerous mutations), better knowledge of this still new possibly lab escaped (and potentially not completely natural) disease. And wider availability of the currently short supply treatments - the antivirals and the monoclonal antibodies like sotrovimab.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7537728/

Just for bedtime reading.
There are other articles out there too. I have gone down a wormhole with this and there is nobody can say its completely safe or their is no risk to breathing in fibre from cloth or plastic masks.

WITH covid not BY covid

@sparepantsandtoothbrush

WITH Covid listed as a contributing cause on a death certificate.

kittens I didn't say UK. I noted it was England (with the devolved nations taking a more sensible science informed approach).

If you're asking the OP, she says she's not in the UK. I think cut her some slack. Plenty of British people don't know all the different regions of other parts of the world. Lots of news reports abroad simply refer to the UK and don't distinguish between the regions.

@Tealightsandd

Cases never went low in the UK. Well, England at least.

Our stable 'low' was between 100-200 a day being killed by Covid. With many more newly disabled with Long Covid.

That’s not true. Deaths were in single figures last summer.

www.ecotextile.com/2021040127603/dyes-chemicals-news/exclusive-chemical-cocktail-found-in-face-masks.html

Deaths were in single figures last summer.

I'm talking about after Delta came in. Just around the time of "freedom Day".

And like I said, separate from deaths, there's the many newly disabled Long Covid sufferers.

I really must remember to bookmark. There are some fantastic medical experts out there noting very clearly the huge benefits of masks, particularly FFP2 and 3. Including excellent explanations of the difference between the need for perfect fit when it's HCP in specific medical settings eg ICU, and when the exact fitting is less essential - basically everyday members of the public - but the mask itself is still hugely beneficial.

That's on tomorrow's To Do list. I need to get to bed now. Goodnight All 😷💉

Masks are the only thing I would keep from this shitshow, if you are ill.

I would keep social distancing and lack of crowds in public places as well, but that is a personal thing from someone who suffers major anxiety around people and crowds (and has done from well beore covid) so know I would be in the minority

If the mask mandate stays one of the parties should run on a platform of removing it. Would win in a landslide.

I can see keeping masks being a way to justify even more underinvestment in the health service.

BTW I lived in Japan for several years. Masks were worn as a courtesy if a person was unwell, but it was an exception - nothing like the mandated approach.

I think masks becoming a long term requirement is sinister to be honest and not consistent with our way of life.

We did have a period of no mask wearing but it’s back since omicron. I’m happy to wear mine in shops and continued wearing it even when we didn’t need to for a while

I am worried they will stop selling masks after the pandemic, I have 7 and I love them, as an anime fan they make me feel like a ninja plus they keep my face warm, its cold outside and people cant see me pulling faces at them.

@Couldntrememberthewordbasket

I’m not in the U.K.

Where I am, we still have to wear masks in the supermarket/petrol stations etc..we’ve never not had to,
The U.K. don’t, right?
Why are we still having to do this? I can’t see it ending, will be so very odd going shopping without masks

We do in Scotland Secondary school kids are wearing them in school too As covid is airborne it helps stop the spread a bit

@Lillyhatesjaz

I think we temporarily stopped because Boris couldn't get enough tory votes to continue restrictions and it is embarrassing for him to have to rely on the Labour Party to get legislation through.

This is what happened

Masks work if they are good quality surgical masks or N95 etc.

Your favourite loose fitting single sheet cloth mask is just security theatre against an airborne virus. Though they do probably serve as a reminder to social distance, so there may be some benefit there.

We do in Scotland
Secondary school kids are wearing them in school too
As covid is airborne it helps stop the spread a bit

Actually there is no evidence to back that up. Comparions were made in England just before Christmas the difference was 1% which was so small that its not significant enough to say its the masks that made that 1% difference.

I'm also in Scotland no other things are being considered, majority of kids and teachers say it hinders communication too, and nobody is considering any potential long term risk to inhaling the chemicals or plastic or fabric fibers.

You only have to wear masks if you want to in the UK.