Guilt Free Railing 18

[WouldBeGood]

Will it ever end?

Half thinking about a ceremonial mask burning. Can't wait to legally be able to dump the bloody things.

On the removing of free tests, I think I've just been worn down by the constant messaging over the past 2 years.

My head thinks it makes perfect sense, and there's no additional risk given the vaccines and treatment. But my heart goes "but what about..." My current worry is about the people who would get the antiviral treatment if they are exposed... but they have to get it within 5 days of catching it. How will they know if they've been exposed and caught it if there's no testing, and they may not get symptoms til day 4 or 5, by which time it's too late? Maybe they will still be eligible - I don't know?

Was at NS berating BJ for removing the requirement for isolating. Ummm... That's what the situation is here, and always has been... Strong guidance to isolate, but no legal requirement. Maybe she didn't know either...

Agree the announcements were surprisingly positive but TBH with the moves in the other nations she didn't really have much choice. I suspect mask wearing will peter out over the next few weeks - why wait for another month?

Has anyone (BJ or NS) said anything about the wonderful passenger locator form? Having had to fill in 3 for our family of 4 the other day to return from holiday I really won't be sad to the see the back of it. Particularly as the person at the airport barely glanced at it and no-one spotted we'd missed a trip across a border during our holiday with stamps in our passports!

@TeenTraumaTrials is the passenger locator form the equivalent of restaurants having to keep details for contact tracing? Because that is going on 21st March

My current worry is about the people who would get the antiviral treatment if they are exposed... but they have to get it within 5 days of catching it.

I'm sure BJ and co said yesterday that home tests would remain available for certain groups and I imagine this would be one of them

Anyone else received a Scotland and Independence pocket guide through the post??!!!
It's bloody farcical and the language contained within it already dividing and damaging!

Apparently Scotland can afford independence and the GNER assessment is completely and utterly wrong. Oh and on currency we can have a Scottish pound and a euro..... don't worry about the hard border as England needs to export to Scotland more then Scotland needs it the other way around and they haven't included health and education in it because that devolved but WM is trying a power grab.......

Honestly I wanted to film me burning it and put it on twitter!

Yes, that could well be so patritus - I confess I didn't really pay attention yesterday... Work n stuff got in the way.

I suppose that means that the antiviral candidates have already been identified (by GPs?) , rather than being flagged up when they test positive by test and trace/ test and protect? I don't know how it works, but I had in my head that a positive test in, say, an over 75 or someone who self identified as vulnerable to the t&p service, would automatically result in an appointment at a clinic/ home visit to sort antivirals. Presumably not, though!

Weeelll it's not illegal after March 21 to not mask BUT it's still to be strongly encouraged in shops and indoor spaces.

So not doing away with the disapproving looks yet.

It is something anyway!

Already splits appearing with colleagues in work today re masks. I am so happy to ditch mine on 21st March but some in work declaring they are no hardship and will continue to wear them to protect the elderly and vulnerable (just so happens they are staunch nationalists). Now I feel guilty.
This is what I hate about this pandemic-the pitting of groups of people against each other. 😭

@imstilljenny2 afraid get used to that feeling its only going to get worse and far far worse with independence debate again!

Don't feel guilty actually most of the studies especially into omicron show that they don't do much. My favourite quote is a Dr that cloth masks are a face decoration and unless a FFP2 then actually not much use!

I suspect that as soon as they're not legally required anymore the masks will be dropping from people's faces like flies. I know very few people who are fully on board with it - most dislike (or hate) them but go along with it because they don't want to be hassled. I suspect the social pressure will shift towards minding your own business and not hassling people in a live and let live kind of way, and people like bus-man demanding proof of medical conditions will be getting the disapproving looks.

I honestly think the no mask thing is going to take me a while to get my head round. I do objectively know that they aren't as effective as they were made out to be, but they do feel like something of a safety net.

I'm not sure about the elderly @ResilienceWanker but the younger antiviral group already know who they are and have a protocol to follow if they have symptoms.
I saw a man talking about it on TV recently. He had PCR tests kept at home and posted one off when he had symptoms. When he got positive result he phoned a number and they sent the antivirals that day by courier.

Masks will be gone as soon as no longer require actually I think people will start dropping them sooner than 21st March why wait that long.

@TheUsualShitshow

I honestly think the no mask thing is going to take me a while to get my head round. I do objectively know that they aren't as effective as they were made out to be, but they do feel like something of a safety net.

I've worn my cloth mask throughout and don't have a problem with wearing it. But I've come to the conclusion it's a waste of time now with omicron. In Scotland we are wearing face coverings, England aren't wearing any, many places in Europe are wearing FFP2 masks. And no-one is really faring any better than anyone else 🤷🏼‍♀️

@mapleleavesreturn

Weeelll it's not illegal after March 21 to not mask BUT it's still to be strongly encouraged in shops and indoor spaces.

So not doing away with the disapproving looks yet.

It is something anyway!

No need to keep a face rag on until the arbitrary date of March 21st. Look at the small print, it’s not actually illegal to not wear one now. Try it, see if the police come screeching into the coffee shop… If anyone chooses to continue wearing I don’t care, it’s up to them and it should be their choice. Equally, those of us not wearing to pop into the supermarket have the right to do that too. There’s enough division in Scotland over many things without the mask wearing judgements continuing.

Personally, I think it’s ridiculous to say, March 21st. Take it off now/don’t wear now your risk is no different before that date. No police officer will charge you with anything, either. We’ve just been conditioned to mentally believe that we’re breaking some kind of law if we don’t wear one (in Scotland). I’ve just spent 10 consecutive days not wearing one, as away with work, blissfully in the majority. I gave up waiting for Nicola’s permission on anything here a very long time ago.

ResilienceWanker - I have an underlying health condition (although apart from that condition, I'm generally fit and healthy), and had a letter from NHS a few weeks ago, telling me I was eligible, and what to do to get them if I had contracted Covid.

I'd bet money on the fact that cloth / standard surgical masks, at this stage of the pandemic, have precisely zero impact on the case rate, given the environments and wearing habits of your average mask wearer.

If there's an impact, it's small enough that we can't actually detect it in any meaningful way.

So, wear them if it makes you feel better or you want to signal your support for nationalism or declare that you care more about the NHS or you hate the tories or whatever.

On the other hand, if you're really vulnerable and you want some (probably real) additional mitigation, get yourself an N95 or KN95 mask and wear that, properly.

I shall feel no guilt or anxiety about ditching the mingin pointless horrible masks!

People can keep wearing them if they like to feel safe.

But it’s niw the turn of the mask zealots to protect me from their opprobrium 😃

@mapleleavesreturn

Weeelll it's not illegal after March 21 to not mask BUT it's still to be strongly encouraged in shops and indoor spaces.

So not doing away with the disapproving looks yet.

It is something anyway!

People can disapprove all they like. I am past caring. Also past all the passive aggressive twee little "just because you can doesn't mean you should".

I will not be wearing a mask after 21st March. Ever again.

I will definitely be ceremonially burning y masks and take great pleasure from doing so

GP friend has just been telling me that even bespoke, fitted masks worn in operating theatres where fresh air is continuously pumped through the theatre don't manage to prevent all infection transmission.

My other GP friend is equally dismissive of most of the 'protections'. Admittedly 2 GPs isn't necessarily a representative sample but I find this most interesting.

Cos, they have to deal with the fallout of the 'protections'.

Final Railing