The cost of masks

[Jourdain11]

I frequently see people calling for widespread use of N95 / FFP2 masks - on transport, for kids at school. I know some schools and workplaces are providing masks (the blue ones, which everyone now says are useless) free of charge, but this is by no means the case for all or most.

FFP2s are really expensive - especially if changed as often as they need to be! Given the number of people who use food banks and cannot afford sanitary products and painkillers for their menstruating teenage girls, how can people be expected to afford this?

Not sure what my point is, but I'm just amazed this isn't mentioned more often.

Or acknowledged more often, I should say.

Masks will be gone in a few days time, in England anyway.

@SmashingBIouse

Masks will be gone in a few days time, in England anyway.

But not for all of us, some of us will still need to wear the FFP2 ones

I wear the Cambridge ones as they can be washed and reused

It’s not mentioned because wearing them is a choice. We won’t even be required to wear flimsy cloth masks soon.

I’ve only seen it suggested that people wear FFP masks when other posters are telling them they’re selfish for not wanting to wear masks indefinitely wherever they go, which is fair enough IMO. If you want a mask with higher protection so that you can go out and about where we you want, then why shouldn’t you pay for it?

I use washable masks, I often find now that if visiting gp surgery or hospital or even our local supermarket that they have the disposable masks free to pick up at the door. To be honest I will be glad to see the back of face masks because I am sick of seeing them thrown away all over the place. The streets, parks, ponds, rivers,beaches, EVERYWHERE is littered with used face masks. I should imagine many wildlife have become entangled in the straps on them and been injured or strangled.

From Thursday, the cost of masksvin England will be £0....

You can reuse ffp2s. Just leave a few days between use. A doctor on TV recommended buying 7 and rotating - 1 day a week each.

Masks still here in Scotland. It is what it is 🤷‍♀️

When I was on holiday in Portugal recently, a box of 50 wired blue disposable masks was 1.50 Euros. So cheap compared to the UK. I brought four boxes home. They are the only ones my spectacle wearing DH can tolerate. I didn’t see them littered around the streets either.

I've been to a few places that won't let you in with cloth masks. They have to be surgical.

@madisonbridges

I've been to a few places that won't let you in with cloth masks. They have to be surgical.

Yeah my local hospital asks me to change mine, I won't swap a medical grade mask for a flimsy surgical so I have to wear both (I just put the surgical one over my own)

I’ve signed it.

@MadisonAvenue

I’ve signed it.

Thank you.

I’m in Germany and we can only wear FFP2 in shops, public transport and indoor events. Some states also accept blue disposable but not all of them.

When the rule was imposed, 11 months ago, the government immediately reduced the cost. Now you can buy them for €0.60-70 a piece. They also issued guidance on how to reuse them safely.

Some testing centres also give you one for free after taking an LFT, to encourage people to test more regularly. My workplace gives us one free mask each week too.

@EileenGC

I’m in Germany and we can only wear FFP2 in shops, public transport and indoor events. Some states also accept blue disposable but not all of them.

When the rule was imposed, 11 months ago, the government immediately reduced the cost. Now you can buy them for €0.60-70 a piece. They also issued guidance on how to reuse them safely.

Some testing centres also give you one for free after taking an LFT, to encourage people to test more regularly. My workplace gives us one free mask each week too.

Here FFP2 cost £10 for a pack of five from the High Street chemists, so more than double what you pay. (Probably cheaper online, but I would be wary about how reputable the online sellers actually are, as anyone can register to sell on Amazon or create their own website.) Hospitals and some other places give away free surgical masks.

I've got quite a few cloth ones, I will just continue to wash and reuse as necessary eg I have a hair appointment and an eye test due where I'll be required to wear a mask.

I've got some FFP2 masks left which I will wear on the trains until they've gone.

I bought these if it helps people to find genuine FFP2 ones: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B092VSFV2S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

The petition is now being reviewed by the government. Hopefully they’ll publish it soon — thank you to everyone who supported it.

I also live in a country where FfP2 have been mandatory since the beginning basically. They now cost €0.50. You get them free for various jobs, hospital etc.
I reuse mine as only use popping into supermarket really for 15 mins max.

I got material ones and add a new filter every day. Hasn’t cost me much

The petition has been published now: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/606740

Please sign and/or share it. Thank you. :)