Why won’t people wear masks

VANECAM

If we were meant to have masks, God would have provided them.

He/she simply provided viruses.

I am wearing one in public gatherings at the moment to try and stop me getting a bug before my heart procedure. No-one bats an eyelid.

I wear a mask every time I go out anywhere. I am juggling 13 different health conditions and also having scans for cancer. I don't want to catch anything as I haven't been able to have some of the jabs.

We can't control other people's behaviour but we can control our own.

M0nica

The efficaccy of masks unless those high tech ones with special air fliters is limited in the extreme. Look at anyone wearing a mask and you can see gaps all round the edge were infection can get out and in

By all means wear masks if they give you the confidence to go outside. But they have limited efficacy.

Quite!

That much has been proven - so I'm astonished anyone still thinks that other people being forced into putting a bit of paper on their faces will protect them.

It's up to the person concerned about these things to deal with these things and not try and force their wishes onto others.

Obviously - having said that - those who know they are "coughing and spluttering" shouldnt go near any other people they can help - because it's not fair to take the risk of spreading one's illness to others and so it's their responsibility not to be near anyone else they can help until the lurgy is gone. I'm annoyed myself that one of two possible culprits I can think of came near me when they could have avoided doing so in recent years - when they both knew they had some sort of virus of whichever description it was (as I know they could have avoided it - one because of being retired and having a computer okay to do their shopping). The other because he "works (or, in his case, as I subsequently found out steals from home - hence I binned him when I realised he was a thief rather than a person). So they are my two suspects as to why I got some sort of virus (possibly Covid) and it caused me deafness in one ear.

I don’t wear a mask, but I do stay in when I have a cold or flu there is no way I would go to work or in shops if I m sneezing or coughing but I don’t believe masks give us any real protection

That much has been proven - so I'm astonished anyone still thinks that other people being forced into putting a bit of paper on their faces will protect them.

You say that but my sister in law who has Bronchiectasis and finishes up in hospital with pneumonia whenever she gets a chest infection, invested in some heavy duty masks- the proper sort- which she wears when on public transport in London where she lives- so using buses and tubes probably every day.
We travelled together to France on Eurostar in August , she wearing her mask once on the train, me not. We sat together.
There was a chap with a marked cough just one row away from us, on the other side. I saw him during the journey along at the buffet/coffee place too.
Now I can’t prove he was to blame, but after we got to our holiday house we were with the family so we had no other contacts with strangers, but LSS I went down with Covid, she didn’t.
Anecdotal I admit, but if she had caught it we’d have been looking at an emergency repatriation of one very sick lady.

NB the sort of mask Monica describes.

I want to start using public transport again and would like to wear a mask. But I feel self conscious about wearing one and feel that people would laugh at me. So I continue to drive everywhere instead. I thought after the pandemic people would get into the habit of wearing masks to protect others the way they do in eastern countries but it never happened. If masks don’t work why do eg surgeons wear them?

​A recent review (2024–2025) published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews (and The BMJ)
​shows that wearing a well-fitted FFP2/N95 respirator face mask can reduce the risk of infection by up to 75–90% compared to wearing no mask in high-risk environments.

In healthcare settings, these are consistently more effective than surgical masks for preventing "influenza-like illnesses" .

​A Max Planck Institute study found that if an infected person and a healthy person both wear well-fitted FFP2 masks, the risk of transmission at a short distance after 20 minutes is roughly 0.1%

They DO work.

That’s reassuring NotSpaghetti - nice to have one’s personal experience backed up by the medical professionals.

MayBee70

I want to start using public transport again and would like to wear a mask. But I feel self conscious about wearing one and feel that people would laugh at me. So I continue to drive everywhere instead. I thought after the pandemic people would get into the habit of wearing masks to protect others the way they do in eastern countries but it never happened. If masks don’t work why do eg surgeons wear them?

Errrr....maybe a bit more about patient reassurance if anything?

We've all had to come out of masks regardless at some point - as we had to get back to looking/acting normal or what would be the point?

We run the government - not the government running us. They are our servants - though they seem to conveniently forget it at regular intervals.

You refer to "eastern countries" (presumably China?) - but we are a western country and we are more individualistic and expect to make our own decisions.

It has been proven beyond doubt masks are neither use not ornament. I have no issue with people wearing a mask if it makes them feel more secure but it shouldn't be forced on everyone. People should however be more considerate and not visit vulnerable people if they have a cough or cold.

CariadAgain

MayBee70

I want to start using public transport again and would like to wear a mask. But I feel self conscious about wearing one and feel that people would laugh at me. So I continue to drive everywhere instead. I thought after the pandemic people would get into the habit of wearing masks to protect others the way they do in eastern countries but it never happened. If masks don’t work why do eg surgeons wear them?

Errrr....maybe a bit more about patient reassurance if anything?

We've all had to come out of masks regardless at some point - as we had to get back to looking/acting normal or what would be the point?

We run the government - not the government running us. They are our servants - though they seem to conveniently forget it at regular intervals.

You refer to "eastern countries" (presumably China?) - but we are a western country and we are more individualistic and expect to make our own decisions.

Yes. We decide not to protect other people because it inconveniences us….

Bukkie

It has been proven beyond doubt masks are neither use not ornament. I have no issue with people wearing a mask if it makes them feel more secure but it shouldn't be forced on everyone. People should however be more considerate and not visit vulnerable people if they have a cough or cold.

No it hasn't. See Not Spaghetti's post about 3 posts above yours.

The masks that don't particularly work are the blue surgical masks which were widely on sale during covid. Their function isn't to prevent airborne infections, they're mainly o stop medical staff dripping snot and sweat on patients... The holes in them are too big too prevent the passage of virus containing aerosols, though, apparently they can reduce it slightly.

You refer to "eastern countries" (presumably China?) - but we are a western country and we are more individualistic and expect to make our own decisions.

Sorry, Cariad, that is just nonsense.
Eastern Asian countries have far more experience of life threatening viruses, SARS and MERS, than we have in the west. They wear masks because they know that they prevent infection. I seem to recall reading during covid that these countries where mask wearing is a matter of course have a far lower incidence of any viral infections, such as colds and flu.

I think they have better manners than we do and see it as impolite to pass their viruses around..

And, China is not the only country in that area...

It's very rude and selfish to cough over anybody. They should stay away from people.

There weren't any masks prior to Covid so responsible people stayed at home if they could and if they couldn't, ensured they didn't 'cough and splutter' over others.

I'm sure we all remember that 'coughs and sneezes spread diseases'.

Smileless thats how I feel I had lived a long life before masks
and I was happy to be out of them I don’t like the feel and don’t think that anything other than surgical masks are useful
They are a nightmare for some people especially those hard of hearing.
I wouldn’t want to go back into them again so it’s just best to stay at home if I have a cold cough or snuffles like we would have done before.
Very few are seen in my area There's one man who has worn a cheap blue one ever since we started but that’s about all

NotSpaghetti

​A recent review (2024–2025) published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews (and The BMJ)
​shows that wearing a well-fitted FFP2/N95 respirator face mask can reduce the risk of infection by up to 75–90% compared to wearing no mask in high-risk environments.

In healthcare settings, these are consistently more effective than surgical masks for preventing "influenza-like illnesses" .

​A Max Planck Institute study found that if an infected person and a healthy person both wear well-fitted FFP2 masks, the risk of transmission at a short distance after 20 minutes is roughly 0.1%

They DO work.

I’m a hygienist and was obviously in very close contact with patients, during Covid we wore the FFP2 masks which are a very tight fit around the nose and mouth . It left a mark on my nose and upper cheeks .
They do work . I caught Covid from a new year eve party , once everything opened up and we could socialise.
The problem with the thin masks is that most people don’t wear them properly, not tight enough over the nose and they fall down or leave gaps around the nose and mouth . Also they are single use but most people use them indefinitely. I’ve seen people pull them out of pockets and handbags and they’re pretty gross and well worn.

MaizieD It has been proven beyond doubt masks were useless as was lockdown. As I previously said I have no issue with anyone wearing a mask if they choose to. Likewise people can choose not to wear one.

Basgetti

VANECAM

If we were meant to have masks, God would have provided them.

🙄

Well he does - but uses an intermediary...

I certainly don't mind wearing a mask to protect others and myself.

MayBee70

CariadAgain

MayBee70

I want to start using public transport again and would like to wear a mask. But I feel self conscious about wearing one and feel that people would laugh at me. So I continue to drive everywhere instead. I thought after the pandemic people would get into the habit of wearing masks to protect others the way they do in eastern countries but it never happened. If masks don’t work why do eg surgeons wear them?

Errrr....maybe a bit more about patient reassurance if anything?

We've all had to come out of masks regardless at some point - as we had to get back to looking/acting normal or what would be the point?

We run the government - not the government running us. They are our servants - though they seem to conveniently forget it at regular intervals.

You refer to "eastern countries" (presumably China?) - but we are a western country and we are more individualistic and expect to make our own decisions.

Yes. We decide not to protect other people because it inconveniences us….

Reframe that as "We are a Western society. Western societies do not expect or demand their citizens wear masks as a regular thing - as we are a democracy and Western. So it's an individual decision". Anyone who doesn't like living in a society like ours and accept that is how we are and we will remain is obviously totally free to either a. Stay at home permanently or b. Move to a different type of society than ours - rather than trying to change our society.

So if one individual doesn't like how our whole society is - then they must have worked out how to live their lives personally within the confines of their own home....so........

The FFP2 masks are apparently effective ( you could research this) but otherwise I think you’re wasting your time. Personally I wouldn’t opt for any of them. But I do think it’s not good to be coughing etc over others if unwell. Better to keep at home until better ( and I find it hard yo understand why so many don’t) or if you must go out, keep your distance from others.

I had the virus before Xmas, I stayed in , I don't like wearing a mask,I'd do it if absolutely necessary but don't want it to become a regular thing

I think we need to start getting less worked up about bacteria and viruses. There is no way we can avoid the.

Our bodies contains more than 3 trillion bacteria and virus cells. Without them we would die. Some bacteria and viruses are dangerous, but the best way to gain some immunity is to have contact with themin small uantities. This is why we have vaccinations. We have to trybto walk a line between over protectionism that means we have poorer immunity than those who lead much 'dirtier' lives.