MASKS

Quite agree. I’ve just returned from doing my first supermarket shop wearing one and hated it! My glasses steamed up as soon as I entered the store and I kept having to take them off to wipe them☹️. Any tips? (I was wearing a cloth face mask with my glasses over the top...)

Surely, as a carer it is only responsible to wear a mask outside of your working environment to protect the people you care for? If you understand why you need to wear a mask when working surely you understand why it’s important to wear a mask when not working?

Our choices are not being taken away, unless the choice is to possibly infect other people. It’s selfish not to wear a mask, and now it’s illegal. Good!

I have to wear a mask for my job as a carer. This is to protect myself and the volnurable people I care for. I hate wearing them, but as part of the requirement to carry out my work and with respect for the people I go into in the community, I wear it. Some of the people I go to would prefer I didn't wear one, one reason being that for anyone hard of hearing it makes conversation very difficult and when the carers are the only people going in conversation is important.

Out of work I think the wearing of the face masks should be optional. It should be up to each individual whether they want to protect themselves. It's another way our freedom of choice is being taken away, just as some shops not accepting cash now, our choices are gradually being taken away. I used to mostly spend cash before the pandemic, it is a far easier way to manage your spending.

It's all about panicking us and taking away our choices and gradually controlling us more and more

Absolutely agree with the OP. I had started going to non essential shops before compulsory mask wearing. Stopped after being sniggered at in Tesco. Went out for the first meet up and 'social' shopping with my sisters since before lockdown. Went for lunch with a look round a big multi department garden centre. Nice meeting up with them, but a sheer misery wearing a face covering for any length of time. Got far too hot, and now will revert to not doing non food shopping onjne, or not at all, and now seriously considering getting our food shopping delivered. Sorry, but no, I don't think mask wearing will help the high street economy.

And Quizzer.

Thank you for voices of reason Beanie and Frankie.

Posted on Facebook by a young friend....

When I wear a mask in the shops I want you to know that...
I'm educated enough to know that I could be asymptomatic and still give you the virus.
No, I don't "live in fear" of the virus; I just want to be part of the solution, not the problem.
I don't feel like the "government controls me". I feel like I'm an adult contributing to security in our society and I want to teach others the same.
If we could all live with the consideration of others in mind, the whole world would be a much better place.
Wearing a mask doesn't make me weak, scared, stupid or even "controlled". It makes me caring.
When you think about your appearance, discomfort, or other people's opinion of you, imagine a loved one - a child, father, mother, grandparent, aunt, uncle or even a stranger - placed on a ventilator, alone without you or any family member who is allowed at their bedside.
Ask yourself if you could have helped them a little while wearing a mask.

Many people have to wear masks for long periods as part of their job eg dentists, surgeons, builders. Shop assistants, bus drivers are very at risk from Covid 19 as they are dealing with the public all day If you value other people's lives wear one. It's not comfy, I have asthma but I wear one to go in a shop. You will not suffocate. You can breathe. We have to think of others.

I'm sorry but try and wear one for hours on end and see how you like it, knowing its to care for others. Think about being ventilated, having a pipe put down your throat isn't nice. Wearing a mask is a respectful and necessary thing at the moment. I'm sorry to be blunt. If I hadn't retired last year, and deemed not safe to return to nursing, I would be wearing one for 12 to 13 hours at a time and I won't complain. Those that don't want to wear one because it is your right, well my right is that you do wear one for my protection.

Definitely for them. Should have been compulsory at the beginning of outbreak. And, apart from a very very few eg throat breathers there is no excuse for not wearing one. They do not reduce your oxygen saturation level or else we would have had all the NHS staff collapsing in Covid units and theatre staff landing on the floor every day during surgeries.

There should be NO question about masks. Wear them.

It is clear that this deadly virus is here for a long time and does not discriminate who is affected. As a post Covid19 patient still suffering the after effects of it, I would say that wearing a mask and following distancing guidelines is essential if you care about your life, about others and most of all your families. I would not wish this illness on my worst enemy. It is still not clear how I contracted it in early April since I had not seen any of my family after 29 February, was taken out once on 14 March. In addition to shielding until next month I had followed the personal distancing when my Carer called once a day and hand washing. The only possibility I am told was an asymptomatic contact which means, as you will all know, contact with a carrier who shows no symptoms. I have multiple co-morbidities and survived much to the surprise of my GP. We cannot know who is asymptomatic and therefore there is a degree of risk for everyone. If wearing a mask reduces the risk for all of us, surely it is right, regardless of the threat of a fine. As one person has mentioned it is possible to get an ‘Exemption Badge/Card’ which goes some way to avoiding any stressful or abusive situation that might arise if an ‘entitled person ‘ is questioned for non- masking. Everyone has to make up their own mind. May I add that I heartily agree with some of the observations re anxieties of returning to high street shopping. Like it or not there is an element of fear amongst many: so rapid shopping and no browsing might be the new way for some. Life is precious and is for living - at least we don’t have to wear a mask 24/7. Best wishes to all and stay safe.

Just been to Sainsbury for the first time wearing a mask. I couldn’t wait to get out. I need glasses for reading so normally wear them on the end of my nose when shopping, had to keep taking them on and off,so probably at more risk after picking up items from the shelves., and then taking them off again. I found it made me very hot, not good with hot flushes either!

Poland: if we shout, sing, sneeze etc the droplets travel much further and also the air is coming from much lower down in our lungs: where, if someone is infected presymptomatically or asymptomatically the viral load will be greater and far more dangerous. For what it’s worth I think everyone in your congregation should have been made to keep their masks on the whole time. If the government had mandated the wearing of masks months ago the death rate in this country would be much lower.

I’ve got a cotton one and some disposable ones. The cotton once is definitely hotter, so won’t be a problem in winter, but the disposable ones are cooler. I forget I’m wearing them. I’m okay with the cotton one too. I have asthma and I can breathe perfectly well wearing a mask. If poison gas was being pumped into the atmosphere, people would quickly enough put a mask on without complaint!

why another thread on masks?

well some like me are new comers, or just don`t read every thread. but what I thought MawB when you asked this, was
well don`t our opinions change?

me? I hated them very anti, have no choice now, but will not visit shops unless I really have to

my personal experience, I went to my church for the first time yesterday, had to wear masks... so I did!

vicar said at the beginning, he has been told that we can take our masks off when seated, as long as we then only face forwards (we were all well distanced)

no singing,, now this is my gripe

why? why can we talk with masks, then why can`t we sing with masks, asked vicar he said something about more , thousands more droplets or something when people sing

so when we sneeze , wearing a mask, surely that is similar to singing, and as long as we face forwards?

and obviously don`t go belting the songs out!

I just do NOT get it.. and that is the problem with this Government, so many of us, try hard, but find it difficult to tie up the instructions

shops.. customers have to wear masks, but , well my local Morrisons , and I have read several other shops, the shop assistants etc. don`t wear masks

tell me where is the logic in this?

The shield will protect your eyes but it will not fully protect you from others coughing and sneezing and the droplets could travel under the shield.

I feel exactly the same, I wear a mask when I absolutely have to, I have four cloth ones so I am prepared. But like the other lady I do not like wearing one. I suffer with anxiety and I had to go to boots , by the time I queued and got to the check out I felt extremely hot and anxious, their were a few problems with my purchases and I found I just couldn't think straight or breathe properly, I guess it was like a panic attack, I felt such an idiot! So I will also be sticking to on line shopping from now on.

Actually I’m more encouraged to shop in the ‘High Street’ now that people are wearing masks.

Of course you don’t have to wear a mask in a restaurant to eat or drink Bex. How on earth can anyone eat wearing a mask? People don’t eat in shops!

I went to Morrisons the other day for the first time since March (wearing a mask) and the only problem that I had was that the security man at the door could not understand what I was asking him. Then I realised that he couldn't understand the other guard either so I am guessing that he was hard of hearing - he's obviously going to have problems for the next few weeks.
There were a lot of people wandering aimlessly around the store without masks, but I'm assuming that they will wear them in future - though I can't see the stores being able to enforce this rule.

HannahLoisLuke

I too gasp for breath in a mask and do have an exemption card. However, on the couple of times I've had to go into a shop I have worn a mask but have now bought a couple of Perspex visors which I will use instead.
Maw, if another thread irritates you just don't click on it! From the number of responses plenty of people do still want to discuss it.

Thank you for your concern Hannahloisluke but I think I am old enough and ugly enough (as my parents used to say) to decide for myself both on the content of threads and the threads themselves.
Just because 20 threads contain posts saying the same things does not make them any more true and if those wishing to comment on anything insists on starting a new thread every time, it makes a mockery of forum and thread titles -how will anybody ever keep track of discussions?

It does given some protection to the wearer. Although the only time I’ve been anywhere for months have been three emergency trips to the vets I do have quite a selection of masks. Mainly reusable ones because I’m so worried about the impact on the environment. But I do have surgical grade single use masks that I shall wear if I do go into a shop as they will protect both me and the people around me. HoweverI shall keep my use of those to an absolute minimum.

I am with Serendipity22; I find them extremely uncomfortable
The drop in footfall at Tesco on Saturday was noticeable - I saw the minute I pulled into the car park at around my usual time that there were a lot less cars there. Staff members were all masked up and said there had been a drop in trade since Thursday and now wprried about staff being laid off, hours cut etc
Went into B&M, didn't browse just ran in grabbed the 3 items I had gone for and back out again - very few customers (3 or 4 at most) - those who were there wore masks but none of the staff did
I will continue a weekly supermarket shop but birthday and Christmas presents and the like will all be purchased online for the forseeable....