Who is planning to ditch masks as soon as we are legally allowed?

[polar81]

Is anyone else planning to ditch the masks asap? The only reason I wear one atm is because of the legal mandate and it will go as soon as that's dropped.

If you are staunchly pro-mask then this is probably not the thread for you! I know all the arguments on both side and they have been fully rehearsed on this board for the last 2 years. I am simply interested to gauge how many people also want to ditch masks asap, when the law allows.

It would be fab if we could have a thread on this topic that didn't include the words- selfish, it's no hardship, why wouldn't you?, we're in a pandemic ffs, I wear my mask to protect others etc.... that's lovely, and we already know!

Delighted, very pleased by today’s news.

@Iggly

Has it really been that bad having public health measures in place?

Yes. Yes it has.

Humans are naturally social creatures. Having measures which restrict that in any way has been awful for us.

I find going into a space with people spaced out, almost fearful of contact, whilst covered in medical looking masks utterly depressing.

The second I don't legally have to wear a mask I won't be wearing one.

I'm really not bothered about Covid. I've had two jabs and had Covid over Christmas and felt right as rain.

I get the impression a lot of people put a greater emphasis on merely existing rather than living.

And by the looks of it everyone on here has a short enough attention span for it to work.

That's a bold assumption!

I hate Boris Johnson's lying and don't trust what he says.

But I also believe that we should ditch masks and end isolation.

So no, many of us are not 'fooled'

Yeah @sinisterbumfacedcat anyone who disagrees with you is very selfish and most certainly thick 🙄

@Monsterathai

Yeah *@sinisterbumfacedcat* anyone who disagrees with you is very selfish and most certainly thick 🙄

I said neither of those things in my OP as you well know.

There were 438 deaths yesterday.

I would feel happier if I knew this decision was made based on science rather than by a bumbling fool who is trying to save his job

Well it's hardly a massive outlay or really that environmentally impactful in the overall scheme of things. What if I promise to make any future masks I might possible need from old clothes? That ok?

@TheKeatingFive - erm, I made an observation. Not sure why you think I may be in the slightest bit interested in what you personally do? 🤷‍♀️

@Sparklingbrook

Oh no! The Coronavirus topic will be tumbleweed if people can't whine about wearing masks. Will I have to cut my bingo card up?

Will we never hear the words 'face nappy', 'useless rag', or 'muzzle' ever again?

You’ll probably have a few ‘selfish, thick’ posts to keep it going ;

I'm mixed - I hate the bloody things, but I also respect that a lot of people are still nervous/have health conditions, and a lot of businesses need to be careful, and also support people who are still nervous/have health conditions. So, I'll rip my mask off with happiness, except in places where businesses specifically request me to carry on wearing them or where I'm with individuals who are nervous/have health conditions.

"Just don’t wear it, your local gov rely on scaremongering everyone into obedience, but have no way to actually enforce it.
People are holding the whips they are being oppressed with."

I don't disagree with what's said here but in reality it's not so straightforward. People wear them so they don't get abused by others for not wearing them. My kids wouldn't dream of not wearing them in school (which they have done all day since the autumn) as they will get told to put them on by their teachers.

Once they are no longer legally required it's a much easier thing to say you don't need to wear one if you don't want to.

I work with someone who really doesn't want mask wearing to stop anytime soon. And disagrees with anyone who suggests otherwise. But currently the law agrees with her and our employer ensures compliance.

I made an observation. Not sure why you think I may be in the slightest bit interested in what you personally do?

You made an observation about people binning masks and you are not the slightest bit interested in feedback on that observation from people binning masks?!?

It's a forum. People are going to respond to you whether you want them to or not.

Try a blog post if you don't want replies/responses. Make sure you turn off the comments section.

I'll carry on wearing them. This government has no moral authority.

While the virus is still all around us I will choose to protect the health of others, and will continue to judge those who fail to consider the health of others.

I will still wear my mask - it's cold and I don't mind wearing it.

However, I'm so looking forward now to ringing up government departments and no longer hearing about Covid restrictions being in place and therefore the wait times are longer.

Will be stopping as soon as I can, I am a rule follower but I hate wearing masks, I wear glasses and can never see properly and they make my anxiety worsei

Absolutely not. I haven't had a cold in 2 years, whereas I used to get loads.
Yes, I guess I knew that in Asian countries they wore them, but to be honest I never really thought about it, and if I had I would have thought it was in relation to pollution. So yes, I'm totally won over by masks and will definitely carry on wearing them on public transport and in busy places indoors. Why wouldn't I?

@Collaborate

I'll carry on wearing them. This government has no moral authority.

While the virus is still all around us I will choose to protect the health of others, and will continue to judge those who fail to consider the health of others.

Did you always wear masks during flu season?

If not, why not?

You do realise this virus will always be with us?

I'll stop as soon as I am allowed. I don't mind in some specialized settings, like seniors centers, but not in general. They are nasty and I don't think psychologically healthy, and it's also not good to prevent all pathogens, the immune system needs challenges to function.

@LumosSolem

I've actually noticed that every cold I have had during the pandemic has been really horrible and a couple have required time off work, whereas before I would get much more minor sniffles. I'm convinced that all the lockdowns/mask wearing have been bad for our immunity and health in other ways. So as soon as we can live more normally and ditch masks it will actually be better for our immune systems!

And me. Continuous horrible colds since last august. I currently have Covid and it feels the same now as said horrible achey colds. As soon as I don't need to wear one I will not be wearing one.

@lesenfantsdelesperance

Absolutely not. I haven't had a cold in 2 years, whereas I used to get loads. Yes, I guess I knew that in Asian countries they wore them, but to be honest I never really thought about it, and if I had I would have thought it was in relation to pollution. So yes, I'm totally won over by masks and will definitely carry on wearing them on public transport and in busy places indoors. Why wouldn't I?

Not a sensible approach. Colds and other minor viruses challenge our immune systems and keep them strong. I'd rather fight off numerous colds and have a strong enough immune system to take on the flu (or covid, or whatever) than avoid minor bugs and end up really poorly with something. All this hand sanitising and constantly wiping surfaces is crap for the gut microbiome too and there is lots of evidence emerging that this is a hugely important part of our health.

Hell yes! Happy to burn my masks!
Look at places like France who have much more strict mask rules and a health pass turned vaccine pass - their numbers keep exploding.

I'll wear them when I feel the need (eg: very crowded indoor spaces), but if I feel it's not necessary I won't.
We have to stop somewhere.
I have worn a mask inside public spaces since March 2020, legally bound or not, so definitely a mask supporter in general!

Do 90,000 people a day contract flu? At any one point time do 1 in 20 have flu in flu season?

@lesenfantsdelesperance

Absolutely not. I haven't had a cold in 2 years, whereas I used to get loads. Yes, I guess I knew that in Asian countries they wore them, but to be honest I never really thought about it, and if I had I would have thought it was in relation to pollution. So yes, I'm totally won over by masks and will definitely carry on wearing them on public transport and in busy places indoors. Why wouldn't I?

I don't really get this MN thing about how everyone wore masks in 'Asian countries'. Prior to the pandemic, they really didn't, unless they themselves had symptoms or to protect themselves from pollution. But look at any photo of a busy Tokyo street or packed Seoul metro from 2 years ago. Hardly anyone is wearing masks.

It’s pretty laughable to consider mask-wearing as a sign that people care about the health of others, and that if they aren’t they don’t. I can guarantee that most of those wearing masks haven’t given a shiny shite about the health of me and my family over the last couple of years. And nor do I expect them to really. I wear a mask, and I don’t make any assumptions about what other people are thinking or feeling by wearing or not wearing one.

@littlepeas No. I think you haven't really suffered with colds otherwise you wouldn't be so keen to catch every one going. I'm not going to avoid every cold out there, I've got kids! But cutting down on my usual winter woes? Well, it'd be stupid not to. Masks in busy places are going to helpful with this for me going forwards.