about wearing face masks/coverings

In the few open shops in our little town eg Boots, M&S Food, and the bakery all the staff are wearing masks. We are only allowed in under strict conditions.

I find this very reassuring and I wear a mask too.

DH bought some masks from a very small Boots shop yesterday and he was very impressed by how careful they were. One in, one out: door locked between customers and staff wearing PPE.

That's the way Daisy I think it's the only way we could go forward.

I started with a plain black mask but now have beautiful colourful ones.

I went on a train this week, wearing a mask (mandatory from Monday) and carrying sanitiser which I used. No gloves - do those who wear them dispose of them straight away or wash them straightaway with soap and water? I worry when I see people wearing gloves and some shops won’t allow people in if they are . Hand washing and sanitisers are much better

In this throwaway world, I prefer reusable, washable face coverings - I’m dismayed by the number of disposable face masks littering the paths and already, the ocean.

ExD you should be proud of yourself for wearing your mask to protect others.

I’m horrified at the amount of disposable stuff being used: chemicals to clean everything etc. I know it’s necessary but we’ve gone from trying not to use plastics/zero waste etc. to the complete opposite.

Cheering thought, MayBee70: Instead of using hand washing stuff from plastic bottles we wash our hands now more effectively with bar soap.

Again, electric bicycles are selling well while cars are aren't.

I think the love affair with bicycles will only last as long as the good weather: people have forgotten that it usually rains a lot. I’ve bought some Castile soap for cleaning. Agree about soap bars: gentler on the hands, too.

Yes, I'm horrified too at the efforts of our species to stay alive are having on our own environment.

I hope the grand shake-up in societies' institutions will reduce poverty increase social mobility, and raise consciousness about harmonising better with the environment.

Although we’ve not spent much money on going out etc we do now spend a lot more on food because the small local suppliers that have been wonderful about delivering food to us are more expensive than the supermarkets. But what I have done is try to support a couple of local shops. One of them is a market stall that sells refills: soap, shampoo, herbs, spices etc etc. She’s delivered to the local area and supplied me with all sorts of weird and wonderful things that I couldn’t get elsewhere. I get my Castile soap from her and she sells wooden blocks to put soap on so it doesn’t go mushy. Washing up blocks that last for months and bio degradable toothbrushes. At least it’s counteracting some of the waste.

I like the anonymity. My fringe is so long that once I have my mask on you would never know who I was. Seeing is a bit of a problem but hey-ho!

Wearing masks and gloves is all fine and dandy. Personally, I don't bother with either. What I do bother with is when I get home. I wash my hands, and start sanitising. Keys, phone, card etc. The counter top before unloading the goods on to it and wiping the groceries as I unload onto it. I use the same bags when I shop and always clean them after too. Plus the inside & outside of my car of the parts I touch. I keep my distance and respect people's space.

If I'm the only person in the shop, I just socially distance from the counter when paying, If there are other people in the shop, then I definitely put a mask on and don't give a damn what anyone else thinks. I sanitise my hands before entering the shop and again on the way out. My only problem when wearing a mask is that my glasses steam up and I end up staggering up the aisles blind as a bat! Attractive? NOT!

The whole point is...

My mask protects you. Your mask protects me.

That being the science behind it, aren't some people being a tad selfish?