Thoughts on using facemasks again....as numbers rise

[Kcc73]

So....numbers of covid (along side other cold/flu viruses) and rising quickly.
I have had cold/sore throat/feeling fatigue - but not covid - after 7 days still can't shake it off. I am not that 'ill' and just getting on with what I have to do BUT my health generally not great and a) the thought of getting covid /or/and flu , plus all these more minor colds , and b) probably worse - the thought of my hubby or teens getting covid/flu (and they probably less careful/mindful re washing hands etc) and the impact of that alone! is beginning to get me in a spin (I suffer with chronic condition that doesn't make me cev but I have high fatigue and pains at best of times).

Yes, I do suffer with anxiety (but have reasons to justify) but as it becoming more evident that we heading into another wave, what is reasonable to do , looking at the measures we used in past - when it was kind of mandatory - that can do now?? I want , and have started wearing face mask in supermarkets . I want to ask my teens to wear facemask on public transport but because no one else, well few, are doing this, feel I can't impose this and don't want to pass on anxieties to them.

BUT I know as 'mum', that if (when) family get sick, it will fall to me to a lot more , which don't get me wrong, I do want and feel should do, - but my stance is let's try and do whatever we can to reduce likelihood or getting sick - or preparing for the worst. I am NOT going to be stopping life; but as we head into winter again I am getting worried. Hubby away for weekend with friends and now it's back to thinking 'oh expect he will bring back covid '.

So wish really there were some more mandatory mitigations tbh. I know a lot will shout me down about this. I don't think we should lockdown before anyone thinks then. Just we are a culture of 'followers' and when fold started wearing masks, it made others accept wearing ok, and when it no longer mandatory, if still wearing one you felt odd! Wondered if others starting to wear masks again or doing anything else? (apart from get vaccinated which for most won't be for a while; my appointment is late Oct as I have another health condition).

Long woffly message. Sorry!

Kc

[Croque]

Remember that Piers Corbyn song .. 😂
Well. more to the point, my breathing was starting to feel affected by those flimsy blue masks and I always found the FFP3s too naff to be worn out in public.

[SandAndSea]

Masks don't work, are really unhygienic and bring their own potential health problems. Even MPs have admitted that they were brought in to send a message. (Whatever that might be!)

I won't be wearing one but you do you.

[Disneygirl37]

I won't wear one except in a healthcare setting.

[mrsjohnnylawrence]

It gave me anxiety when people were constantly asking me to cover where I breathe from with a cloth that will then become moist and therefore begin to harbour bacteria.

I never gave in though. Glad people are finally realising they were pointless. I never had the vaccine either, still not been ill this year.

Your immune system thrives on constant contact with pathogens. I think those of us who are jabbed up to the eyeballs and masked up and kept away from everyone are the ones who are sick all the time now.

It's a shame.

[mrsjohnnylawrence]

Also knocked me a bit sick watching people constantly touch said moist cloth in the supermarket then touch products and put them back. The whole thing was madness I'm so glad it's over.

[PeloFondo]

I still wear FFP2 ones

[mrsjohnnylawrence]

@PaperPalace

I think it should be up to the individual.

It is and was because this is a free country, not a dictatorship.

[ThistleSifter]

No but I don’t judge others that would (except that it’d be fear-based decision rather than based on evidence of efficacy, so would judge/surmise there must be extreme irrational fear/reasons which trumps critical thinking; not my business if that’s how others perceive things, but I won’t re-join in with that)

[Redfrangipani]

@ThistleSifter

No but I don’t judge others that would (except that it’d be fear-based decision rather than based on evidence of efficacy, so would judge/surmise there must be extreme irrational fear/reasons which trumps critical thinking; not my business if that’s how others perceive things, but I won’t re-join in with that)

So you don’t judge, but then you do.

[ThistleSifter]

I wouldn’t judge them negatively.

[ThistleSifter]

Basically people can do what they want, it doesn’t bother me either way. But I am not willing to join in the charade this time.

[Croque]

@mrsjohnnylawrence

It gave me anxiety when people were constantly asking me to cover where I breathe from with a cloth that will then become moist and therefore begin to harbour bacteria.

I never gave in though. Glad people are finally realising they were pointless. I never had the vaccine either, still not been ill this year.

Your immune system thrives on constant contact with pathogens. I think those of us who are jabbed up to the eyeballs and masked up and kept away from everyone are the ones who are sick all the time now.

It's a shame.

Same. My ex went from healthy to seriously unwell with long term disabilities after taking two doses of AZ. Nobody else in his family had AZ and they are all fine, even the old, frail ones. It may be that AZ triggered these scary life threatening blood clots in him based on his genetics (I know hundreds of people can come forward to state they had it and were fine afterwards) but I am glad our DCs never had it either.

[mrsjohnnylawrence]

@Croque

Same. My ex went from healthy to seriously unwell with long term disabilities after taking two doses of AZ. Nobody else in his family had AZ and they are all fine, even the old, frail ones. It may be that AZ triggered these scary life threatening blood clots in him based on his genetics (I know hundreds of people can come forward to state they had it and were fine afterwards) but I am glad our DCs never had it either.

Wow, I'm really sorry.

[Oblomov22]

No. Just no. I won't, unless made it by Government and that won't happen.

[IndigoC]

FFP2 and FFP3 absolutely work. Lots of solid evidence showing that now. We wear them and have never got covid.

[Phrenologistsfinger]

We are wearing FFP3 masks on transport or enclosed places as doing back to back rounds of IVF (covid affects embryo quality) and I am on immune suppressants and have an underlying autoimmune condition. It’s fine/normal for us now. I don’t enjoy it but it’s necessary for us.

[Croque]

@mrsjohnnylawrence

Wow, I'm really sorry.

Thanks. It all seems a bit surreal and we are waiting to see if he gets through this year (apparently, bad things can happen in the year following a major stroke).There was a lot of pressure put on the public to get vaccinated (I was constantly getting texts and letters). Even my (minor) DC was sent texts about it. I can see why it would have been very easy for most people to cave in, especially if they feared for their livelihood or swallowed the fear bait.

[IncompleteSenten]

I think people should use common sense if they are ill. Keep a bit of distance when out and about as far as possible, wear a mask if they are coughing or sneezing and regularly wash their hands.

[PurpleWisteria]

So many here think they know better than the WHO. Stupidity of the first order.

Let's just let it spread again and kill the vulnerable, eh?

Or maybe look out for them and protect them instead of being selfish.

[mrsjohnnylawrence]

@PurpleWisteria

So many here think they know better than the WHO. Stupidity of the first order.

Let's just let it spread again and kill the vulnerable, eh?

Or maybe look out for them and protect them instead of being selfish.

I am selfish about what I do with my own body, and everyone should be.

[IndigoC]

I’m actually stunned that the dominant response in here is that masks “don’t work”. There is a mountain of evidence now that they do. Cloth masks not so much, but medical grade ones worn with a good seal provide excellent, scientifically validated protection.

[Redqueenheart]

@IndigoC
''I’m actually stunned that the dominant response in here is that masks “don’t work”. There is a mountain of evidence now that they do. Cloth masks not so much, but medical grade ones worn with a good seal provide excellent, scientifically validated protection.''

You have actually confirmed the idea with your comment that most mask-wearing is useless.

Because most people wore the flimsy cloth masks, not the medical grade ones with a good seal, so it had no impact whatsoever on preventing the spread of the virus...

[Giveaschitt]

@Croque

Thanks. All i have to go on personally are the people coughing and spluttering on public transport plus the anecdotes I read on MN. The back to school data makes sense though. We haven't managed to wish it away and we are coming close to the three year mark 🙄 I remember when they announced it would be over in two years and people were aghast because even that seemed impossibly long...

But the measures etc were over in 2 years - covid is never going away, its just one of the many other viruses that we as human beings might catch and might become ill from. I'm always slightly baffled when people say things like 'covid hasn't gone away!' as if they think anyone is execting it to. Spanish flu never went away, or the plague. It just stopped being a danger to society in the way it was when it first emerged.

[AsterixInEngland]

Never stopped but have moved from surgical to fpp2 and then fpp3 mask as we went along.

I wish too that other mitigating measures were in place but that’s the best I can do atm.

[mrsjohnnylawrence]

@Redqueenheart

@IndigoC
''I’m actually stunned that the dominant response in here is that masks “don’t work”. There is a mountain of evidence now that they do. Cloth masks not so much, but medical grade ones worn with a good seal provide excellent, scientifically validated protection.''

You have actually confirmed the idea with your comment that most mask-wearing is useless.

Because most people wore the flimsy cloth masks, not the medical grade ones with a good seal, so it had no impact whatsoever on preventing the spread of the virus...

Here's the thing, a scheme could very easily have been implemented to deliver the proper masks to every household, the money was there, and supposedly they really cared about our health. So why not? If I can think of that I'm sure one of the bods in a think tank can.

But no, they chose to beg us to use anything to cover our mouths, let us walk around with damp cloth on ours and on kids' faces, touching stuff all the time, snotting around and inhaling likely mouldy air. No regard for busy parents who may not even have washed or dried them properly.

You couldn't have got a more missmatched response of they were trying to make us sicker.

COVID's over now. Everyone who wanted to be jabbed has been jabbed and will continue to get jabbed forever. Most people seem to have woken up to the damp cloth on face fad which is nice. I wouldn't rule out some horrible lung infections among them though which could be why they are all sick now and vowing 'not this time.'