Push for masks to be reintroduced

[GerardusMercator]

Over the last few days I've noticed a big push in media to get masks back on the agenda. A brief foray into twitter and flick through a few Covid threads here, and I've seen all the old pandemic era versions of 'it's no hardship to mask'/ your selfish if you don't want to mask etc start to creep back in.

How many of you are-

1. Still masking now
2. Will mask if it becomes guidance
3. Will mask if it becomes law
4. Will not mask again under any circumstances

I really struggled with masks and don't believe they make a great deal of difference (covid theatre) so would be somewhere between a 3 and 4.

I used to be 3.
Sitting, masked up, in a hospital right now, next to my DF, admitted 5 days ago with Covid... watching his Oxygen Saturation closely.
Feel a bit differently now.

This is why it's so important to distinguish between masks per se and mask laws. The issue of mask laws, or even having more amped up guidance actually, has to take into account the feelings and experiences of the public and that isn't something that can be opted out of. People who are actually in charge of public health policy don't have the option of indulging themselves by ignoring the elephant in the room that there's no correlation between societies with mask laws and better covid control.

Do any of those in favour of masks being reintroduced for all think that those who want to mask could simply wear a FFP3 (or other similar mask) to protect themselves?

Are you asking if people who think that masks should be compulsory think that masks should be optional?

This study - in the Omicron era as you wished - is clear on the obvious benefits of masks.

Actually, although it's published in the omicron era, the data used to come to the conclusions appears to be prior to that. 2020 data is used throughout and there are many refs to Delta. As it's meta analysis, it makes sense that there is this lag.

Masks do make a difference. Everyone is ill this winter because nobody really wears them or takes precautions anymore. Last winter most people were wearing masks on public transport and still in hospitals/GPs/shops etc.

You can't expect people to wear them though. Ultimately most people won't unless it's enforced or at least mandated.

So even knowing all this, and being CEV yourself, you'd knowingly and maliciously infect others, who may be CEV themselves? As an act of petty revenge?

And they call those of us who can't wear masks selfish, filthy disease spreaders.

Absolutely incredible.

No it's not. I cough into a tissue and wash/sanitise my hands regularly (I'm CEV, remember).

Your plan to maliciously infect others is what's truly grim.

@NoNameNowAgain well that was a deliberate misreading of my post if ever there was 🙄 I'm asking why people won't take responsibility for their own health if masks exist that protect the wearer. Why does it need to be mandated for everyone?

If it becomes law I will, but I think basic common sense is much more effective (i.e. hand washing, covering mouth when you cough/sneeze, don't go out if you're unwell and it's not necessary etc).

No, the data has been collected from every stage of the pandemic, including Omicron. That's what makes it so useful.

No, the data has been collected from every stage of the pandemic, including Omicron. That's what makes it so useful.

I didn't see any refs to omicron era data, but even if that's correct, it means that the very limited conclusions they draw about cloth based masks are strongly influenced by pre-omicron data, making any conclusions about the efficacy of masks against omicron impossible to ascertain from their analysis.

Never did never will.

Just clarifying!
I suppose the answer is that since no mask is one hundred per cent effective it’s not reasonable for someone who doesn’t wear a mask to tell someone that does, that her (the non-mask wearer’s) decision doesn’t increase the risk to him (the mask wearer).

Not that I want a mandate.

The ideal would be no mandate - and a population who respect the scientific advice, and take precautions. The problem is that there is so much misinformation and distrust - that may then result in a mandate being needed.

It’s ridiculous that the science deniers just end up causing the very thing they don’t want - and what no one else particularly wants either.

@User135644 Between Christmas 2012 and July 2022 i didnt catch so much as a sniffle. Masks were not worn during most of that time. Since July i have had two viruses. Advice from a local pharmacist (and do bear in mind that the NHS and their champions have been telling us to go to pharmacists for advice to ease pressure on the NHS so you cant then slag off what the pharmacist says when it doesnt meet your agenda. I digress but im just pre empting the tirade im going to get when i reveal the pharmacist told me it is due to lack of people mixing. i.e. lockdowns.

@MinkyGreen how are masks going to improve patient flow in hospitals. Not sacking care workers who wouldnt have the vaccine would have helped with this.

So much doubling down here!!!

It’s ridiculous that the science deniers just end up causing the very thing they don’t want - and what no one else particularly wants either

What is a science denier? Someone who has a different opinion to you? 'Science' changes all the time. Scientists don't all agree with each other. Is some highly qualified boffin scientist who disagrees also a 'science denier'?

All these stupid bullshit terms just get thrown around in a bid to discredit and belittle anyone with a differing opinion.

The government had access to the most up-to-date 'science' available at the time and they partied whilst others died alone in care homes. I'd be very careful how much trust I'd place in the science that you and I get to hear about.

As OP says, I'll never understand why mask fans don't just wear one that protects them and let everyone else crack on.

The fundamental problem with this post is that it completely ignores the necessity of public health measures meeting the public where they are. An intervention being acceptable to the population isn't some nice to have, it's an absolute requirement for success. It follows that the glib 'may result in a mandate being needed' is the wrong approach, because that argument ignores the reality that substantial numbers of people don't agree with a requirement and will not observe it.

Mask laws are not going to make people mask the way you want them to. They particularly aren't going to when no advocate has an explanation for why there's no correlation between mask laws and Omicron rates, speaking of poor information.

The problem with statistics and scientific research is that you can generally find something to back up your opinion but then others can find something which shows the opposite. The government frequently do this to suit their own agenda so people are naturally sceptical.

Mask wearing may have some effect but probably minimal when people are still visiting crowded places, schools return, restaurants, pubs etc etc. We definitely don’t want to be locked down again, so have to hope that if people are poorly they stay at home if they can, or that the vaccines do their job!

The nhs is overloaded because of the lack of social care places with around 25-30% of hospital beds taken up with people that don’t need them. This is the number one problem at the moment with emergency care as there is no throughput in a&e.

How mature.

I rarely wear a mask anymore, but I do keep one with me that I put on in crowded places.

(I haven't had Covid. Or a cold for the past three years.)

I had COVID in October for the first time and now have a really horrible cold for the first time since December 2019. I am going to go back to wearing my FFP2 in public. Life's too short to lose days and days like this to illness if it can be avoided. I don't care what the rest of you want to do.

I think masks work. I might start wearing one again on trains, as you're in a confined space with lots of other spaces for some time. A lot of people seem to have nasty lurgies over the last few weeks and I don't want one.

I saw someone wearing one outside in the rain this morning though, which I thought was completely pointless (not near shops, so hadn't just walked out and was going in another shop).

I give up. You clearly didn't read it thoroughly. Omicron data was there.