Tieribly angry wee fannies fannying about with the tiers

[dancemom]

Things moved quickly so I just started a new one ...

Add me to the "sick of masks and no need for more restrictions" list then. My exemption lanyards are arriving in the post today. I have struggled on with fucking masks for over a year and after having a menopausal hot flush coupled with a wheezing attack last week I have drawn the line.

According to Travelling Tabby, there are only 10% of adults unvaccinated in Scotland. they will have made the choice not to be vaccinated, everyone's had the opportunity by now. Why should I go out of my way to "keep someone safe" who hasn't bothered to get vaccinated?

And before everyone starts on about clinically vulnerable people - yes I know they exist. But nobody gave a single thought to them before March 2020. Anyone who claims to have a worn a mask around Asda in 2019 if they felt a bit peaky in case they came across someone who was clinically vulnerable is lying. And clinically vulnerable people aren't just vulnerable to Covid!

It's the lying and the sleekitness and the "vaccines are our way out of this" then shifting the goalposts again, and again and again. And expecting our kids and teenagers to give up so much, and have their education and exams disrupted for three years in a row. It's a bloody disgrace.

I haven't heard the segment, but children in schools are already different to the "rest of society" as they haven't been offered a vaccine, so of course they might have different mitigations regarding Covid.

So basically, @Mistressiggi, our secondary school age children deserve to have to comply with all the restrictions and wear masks for what - to protect adults who have chosen not to have the vaccine? Or who are clinically vulnerable yet spent every day before March 2020 in schools, exposed to every virus and bug going?

It makes no sense.

Bearing in mind that also children get far less ill than adults, and in the entire pandemic, 4 people under the age of 19 in the whole of Scotland have died with (not because of) Covid?

That seems entirely proportionate.

Paediatricians are saying no need to vaccinate kids.

I think personal choice must happen with masks and restrictions now. They were put in place to deal with a concern about overwhelming the NHS which is clearly not the case now.

Yes, some people are worried. That’s life. Got to just crack on now.

We should be happy that the vaccines are working and get back to normal.

Thegeneologist I would assume they are doing it to protect each other. And to stop staff being off sick (as many vaccinated people still get sick). Death also not the only thing to worry about. I will certainly encourage my own dc to get the vaccine, when it is offered to them.

I agree that it should be personal choice @WouldBeGood.

But we need to support both sides of the coin. I respect that masks are difficult for people to wear for various and totally valid reasons but I’ve also seen scoffing language and the implication of stupidity towards those still wearing masks.

@Mistressiggi

Thegeneologist I would assume they are doing it to protect each other. And to stop staff being off sick (as many vaccinated people still get sick). Death also not the only thing to worry about. I will certainly encourage my own dc to get the vaccine, when it is offered to them.

I will too. My 16 year old will be having theirs soon.

But what are the 12-16 group protecting each other against? In the overwhelming majority of teenagers, Covid is very mild. most don't even know they've had it. We don't ask teenagers to socially distance, miss their exams and wear a mask to protect each other against norovirus, or any other bug going round.

Last term the teachers could argue they hadn't all been vaccinated. Well now they have, and if they haven't, that's their choice.

@ssd

I noticed more people are bunching up and not bothering with masks on the train home tonight. And all social distancing is scrapped in the shop i work in. A lot of people clearly think being in your face is no problem now.

I think things are going to feel a lot more unsafe to me.

Sorry to hear your struggling with the changes its only natural after the last 18 months. Have you tried the FFP2/3 at work? I know they are hotter and cost more (sometimes amazon have them on deal) but they might give you some comfort.

If I'm honest I don't understand wanting to get in people's faces before a pandemic but it is difficult to comprehend the muffles through a mask (feeling more and more sorry for teenagers!)

@IncludeWomenInThePrequel masks for some people have become a safety blanket despite the fact that they don't wear them properly, don't change them frequently enough or even wash them each day at the correct temperature etc. The latest study on the zoe app for instance shows they are effective WITH social distancing.... But this virus isn't going to disappear suddenly and most of us don't want to live the rest of our lives at a constant distance to others with a mask on. It should become personal risk and assessment and personal choice (obviously employers should provide the correct PPE as well).

If you feel unsafe then there are options and adjustments available to you.
We have loved having the choice in England, my parents choose to wear masks when inside places. Some friends wear them whilst shopping but readily won't wear them in a restaurant to walk to the toilet as they point out they have sat for an hour with one off so that doesn't make a blind bit of difference and it's ridiculous to think that it does!

I usually love where I live and am very proud of my home but honestly this summer I have enjoyed escaping to England frequently to actually get some rest bite from the constant doom, goom and anxiety inducing elements of Scotlands restrictions and to let my child be a child with easy activities and access to swimming.

@florafoxtrot yes, that’s fair. I’m happy to go along with each to their own and leave it at that.

Thegeneologist This has been done to death but not all teachers will be double vaccinated when they return to work next week (some are back this week). By half term your statement should apply but not just yet. We will see what happens. I hope exams will go ahead this year and can't see right now why they wouldn't. Pupils don't socially distance from eachother (and rarely from staff to be honest). I expect the mask ruling will only last the first few weeks of term.

I'm another one who thinks masks should be optional. I'm not going to judge anyone who chooses to wear one because it makes them feel safe (even though I think in most cases any 'protection' is minimal to none), but I'm also not going to scream arsehole at someone because they're not wearing one in Tescos. I'm generally a rule-follower but we have so much bad law now in Scotland I won't judge anyone who breaks the stupid/illiberal ones.

I do feel quite strongly that they should not be required in schools. As said previously, children are not at significant risk from COVID, either via death or long term illness, so this is purely for the benefit of others, and the vulnerable have all had the opportunity to be vaccinated now. We've been getting out a bit more through the summer (making the most of what freedom we have before its taken away again!) and if there is any level of background noise I can't hear serving staff through their face coverings. I hate to think how hearing impaired people are coping, and it must impair teacher interactions with pupils, which in turn must be damaging to education. I assume this is why both England and Wales have decided its a no go. It just doesn't seem proportionate to the risk. I really hope they dump the additional restrictions on children in a few weeks, but I have to say I'm very sceptical as it will then be Autumn with likely higher case numbers.

It just doesn't seem proportionate to the risk.

Exactly.

Especially when nightclubs and other settings are open. Those groups are obviously more important to the Scot Gov than children getting an education.

@Scottishskifun, ive got a fair few ffp2 and ffp3 masks but omg they are hard going 8 hours a day in a hot stuffy shop

Ive worked throughout this in retail and have yet to have seen someone scream arsehole at someone in a shop?!?

[quote ssd]@Scottishskifun, ive got a fair few ffp2 and ffp3 masks but omg they are hard going 8 hours a day in a hot stuffy shop[/quote]
Yes they are and not comfy! My friend is a teacher and has to wear them in the classroom (it's her councils policy) but she said it took some getting used to!

Is there anyway your work can improve the ventilation? You can get free standing air filtration units which can reduce stuffiness etc as generally if its stuffy it shows ventilation isn't good!

@ssd

Ive worked throughout this in retail and have yet to have seen someone scream arsehole at someone in a shop?!?

I didn't mean literally! I have encountered, sadly, plenty of people who are very vocal about how, in their opinion, anyone who doesn't want to wear a mask is just a selfish arsehole because it does no harm and protects others (not sure either is really true tbh). My own DH was just telling me yesterday how it was a really dick move to not wear a mask when talking to people at work, even if you're seated at your desk and don't need to as far as the rules are concerned. That was a fun conversation I'm sure you can imagine.

In some good news (imo) here, my dad got a letter this morning saying that anyone aged 12-17 in his household or who he sees most days can qualify for a vaccine. So my teenage sons are booked in to go next week. They're 14 and 15. Dead easy, didn't even get asked for my dad's name or details, how often they see him, anything.

Happy about ds15, he's nearly 16 anyway, ds14 is only just 14 so slightly more wary about him. But on balance it's a good thing. I was a bit worried about them seeing my dad so much once they go back to school.

That's so great @Rae36

• 1,032 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 14,317 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 7.8% of these were positive
• 11 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 40 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 352 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,029,479 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 3,357,803 have received their second dose

There’s no real need to be afraid of catching Covid

@WouldBeGood

There’s no real need to be afraid of catching Covid

Maybe for you but not for others.

If you want people to respect your wishes/ choices and motivations then you really could do the same.

It's not an easy or simple situation.

@WouldBeGood

There’s no real need to be afraid of catching Covid

😂 I wasn't really scared of catching covid until I did catch it, got a moderate case and was very unwell! but it was before vaccination and I was unlucky in the pot luck on paper should have been fine!

I was more concerned before about DS and he was absolutely fine. It is less severe in the vast majority of the cases it's true but the pot luck element for the 25-45 age group if unvaccinated is a risk.

I'm far less concerned about it now double vaccinated though and knowing DS has immunity and it didn't even register on the illness scale with him.

It's like anything though it's the fear of the unknown which I do understand.

If I catch Covid it’ll delay a frozen embryo transfer as part of our ongoing fertility treatment. I had to be tested for our fresh embryo transfer (which failed) and the anxiety worrying about of testing positive and knowing all the injections, all the hormones and all the expense would have been for nothing, was horrendous.

I don’t expect anyone to make any allowances for me, to wear a mask or to SD or anything. But I am taking precautions for myself and for our situation.

It’s not likely to be a serious illness or a death sentence.

I’m old, fat, and have never been scared of catching it. Chances massively good, even more now vaccinated. Genuinely don’t get the fear.