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Face Masks in shops

(341 Posts)
LindyB Mon 13-Jul-20 10:08:23

How do other readers feel about wearing face masks in shops? We are fortunate enough that our daughter who lives nearby has insisted on doing our food shopping for us and what with the odd delivery we have not needed to go into a shop since lock down. I realise that we do need to start going out to shops soon, keeping as safe as we can. I was quite relieved when it was announced on Friday that Boris Johnson seemed to hint that wearing face masks might be made mandatory as Scotland and many other countries have done. I then heard Michael Gove say that wearing face masks should not be mandatory but rather should be worn to show good manners. My question is surely good manners do not come into it if I wear a face mask to protect others, surely I should be able to expect the same from everyone else to protect me. I know that face masks are not the only preventative measure but surely anything and everything that helps should be done.

Puzzler61 Wed 15-Jul-20 16:57:33

I’ve been wearing disposable masks but didn’t like to think of the wastefulness of them. Now I have 3 homemade cotton ones so will be able to wash one and wear one, and one to spare.

stewaris Wed 15-Jul-20 19:22:10

#MawB there is a big difference between wearing a beesuit and a face mask. I'm a beekeeper and the hood stands well away from your face. A face mask sits tight to your face and I can't wear one. I'm claustrophobic and I've tried and panic after 30 seconds as I feel I can't breathe. I have now started shopping online as I can't stand anything on my face. My OH suggested I wear my beesuit to the supermarket but I'm not sure that comply with the face mask criteria or I would and have no prob;em doing so.

twiglet77 Wed 15-Jul-20 22:29:43

If you have trouble with glasses steaming up you can try various things. Wipe the lenses with a tiny drop of liquid handwash - not washing up liquid, it can damage the coating - and wipe dry with a spectacle cloth or microfibre cloth, not paper towel as that will scratch. You can wipe the lenses with a drop of hand santitiser gel. You can get anti-fog spray from Amazon, or probably from your optician, maybe chemists sell it.

If the mask has a nose wire, pinch it close to your nose and wear your glasses over the top. It helps to fold the top half-inch of the mask inwards, you can still pinch it onto your nose. Or take a strip of paper tissue and tape it along the top edge of the mask with micropore or sellotape.

If you're worried about feeling claustrophobic take it slowly, wear a mask for five minutes at a time around the house. You won't need to wash or replace it each time when it's only for a few minutes. Build up slowly. You only need to wear them on public transport or inside stores, carry it in a clean plastic bag and put it on just before you go through the door. How long does it take to do a supermarket shop? Half an hour? Surgeons wear them for hours in theatre, it honestly isn't going to be as bad as you imagine.

Remember if you dread a mask, you're really not going to want to wear a ventilator.

Joplin Wed 15-Jul-20 23:07:08

WoodLane7 - you were obviously listening to LBC, as I was, when Shelagh Fogarty made that comment about condoms - she has a sense of humour & is always worth listening to.

Flygirl Wed 15-Jul-20 23:24:19

From a personal point of view, I absolutely dread it. I have never been claustrophobic, but this has completely thrown me. Within literally seconds of wearing one I feel like I'm being smothered and I am feeling like clawing it off my face. Two minutes wearing it in a shop and I'm panicking to get outside. I am due to resume my job as a flight attendant very soon and I will be required to wear one in a very confined space for hours on end, and I can't tell you the anxiety this is causing me. I am also not convinced of their efficacy- at all - I think the science is very sketchy at best and the goalposts keep changing to suit the narrative. If they are that important why wasn't the ruling brought in earlier? I can't be the only person who remembers the government's scientific advisors saying masks were useless? And why is the "enforcement" of it still a week away? Does the virus know to "hold back" on spreading until next week? ? Once again, this move is about 4 months too late. After researching, it seems that cloth masks are about as effective as a wire fence being erected to stop a mosquito. Breathing your own CO2 back in can also cause hypercapnia. Toxins are expelled in our breath for a reason, to rid our body of impurities....so to me, this is equivalent to peeing your urine back inwards. The moisture trapped in the mask is also not a healthy environment and can compromise our immune systems. Something we really don't need to happen in our bodies right now. I just wonder where will this all end? What further "instructions" will we all willingly comply to before we realise something doesn't seem quite right? Who would have even thought in March, that we could actually be fined a 3 figure sum for refusing to cover our face in a local shop? It's all so bizarre.

MayBee70 Wed 15-Jul-20 23:57:53

I think you’ll find that it was just this country and the USA that didn’t advise the wearing of masks months ago and you only have to look at the death rate in both countries to realise what a mistake that has been.

welbeck Thu 16-Jul-20 00:19:01

dr bharat pankhania gives very good clear advice on all this.

Oopsminty Thu 16-Jul-20 00:25:22

MayBee70

I think you’ll find that it was just this country and the USA that didn’t advise the wearing of masks months ago and you only have to look at the death rate in both countries to realise what a mistake that has been.

I thought that as well, *MayBee70", but was surprised to learn that they're not mandatory in France yet.

MayBee70 Thu 16-Jul-20 00:47:04

I saw a list of countries that had made masks mandatory and the date that it was introduced but instead of the names of the countries it just showed their nations, flags and I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to flags !

Sussexborn Thu 16-Jul-20 01:22:52

Mercure Tue 14-Jul-20 10:15:13

Are you not aware that the first rule of Gransnet is that every other country in the world has been incredibly wise and their citizens have all followed the rules perfectly? It’s only the British, and especially the English, who are stupid and ignorant.

Boris has stupidly taken advice from the Chief Medical Officer and other highly qualified individuals who obviously know far less than the self appointed experts on the Internet. As new information has come through about this worldwide pandemic he has made appropriate changes to the guidelines instead of blindly sticking to the incorrect information given out in the early days.

As for people invoking their RIGHTS! It beggars believe and probably safer for the rest of us if they stay tucked up indoors keeping their stupidity shut away for the rest of the year and possibly beyond.

There have even some incredibly brave people making huge personal sacrifices to help keep us safe but also a small number of ridiculous vociferous half wits trying to undermine any sense of well-being that many are desperately trying to cling on to. Selfish and mean spirited carping on and on. You would think they would have bored themselves senseless by now.

Sussexborn Thu 16-Jul-20 01:24:25

Even = been

Shropshirelass Thu 16-Jul-20 09:01:00

I have worn one from day one and have just ordered some visors as my glasses steam up with a mask.

Marydoll Thu 16-Jul-20 09:17:16

www.barrheadnews.com/news/18580817.three-simple-tips-stop-glasses-fogging-wearing-face-masks

I posted this link on another thread. It may help.

BlueSky Thu 16-Jul-20 09:25:46

MayBee70

I think you’ll find that it was just this country and the USA that didn’t advise the wearing of masks months ago and you only have to look at the death rate in both countries to realise what a mistake that has been.

I'm with you on this MayBee the use of masks were not implemented for reasons only known to themselves!

Greeneyedgirl Thu 16-Jul-20 10:35:58

Wasn’t it to do with worrying about shortage of PPE and concern about public using stocks up?

Everything seems to have been done on the back foot here.

GagaJo Thu 16-Jul-20 12:33:03

No need to worry anti-maskers! All you need to do to avoid wearing one, is to find a maskless Tory to frequent the type of shop you prefer, and lo and behold! Maskless shopping is allowed!

Elrel Thu 16-Jul-20 12:35:36

One for those who don’t fancy wearing a mask:

pbs.twimg.com/media/EYfZmsFUwAAC1Kr?format=jpg&name=900x900

BlueSky Thu 16-Jul-20 12:37:40

But why? Don't they feel they are protecting themselves too by wearing one? I do even if I'm the only one doing so and I believe this rumour that it doesn't protect you is not true!

EllanVannin Thu 16-Jul-20 12:47:45

They're not new to me having been a nurse and I realise how important it is to lessen the spread of the virus but they all should be completely disposable after having been worn and not re-used---but this isn't going to happen is it ?

EllanVannin Thu 16-Jul-20 12:56:05

There's going to be a rush on " proper " masks--3 ply, so I'd start now or it'll end up like the toilet roll saga. They're not expensive online and I've received 100 this morning after ordering them a couple of days ago. Another order will be going in shortly then I can hand some out to the family. We certainly don't want any fines, children too as they're above the age for wearing them.

FarNorth Thu 16-Jul-20 13:02:49

That post about takeaway food is appalling.

Grannynannywanny Thu 16-Jul-20 14:48:38

One of these tee shirts could be useful while wearing a mask ?

Oopsminty Thu 16-Jul-20 14:51:07

Grannynannywanny

One of these tee shirts could be useful while wearing a mask ?

Brilliant!

Lucca Thu 16-Jul-20 15:03:40

Sussexborn

Mercure Tue 14-Jul-20 10:15:13

Are you not aware that the first rule of Gransnet is that every other country in the world has been incredibly wise and their citizens have all followed the rules perfectly? It’s only the British, and especially the English, who are stupid and ignorant.

Boris has stupidly taken advice from the Chief Medical Officer and other highly qualified individuals who obviously know far less than the self appointed experts on the Internet. As new information has come through about this worldwide pandemic he has made appropriate changes to the guidelines instead of blindly sticking to the incorrect information given out in the early days.

As for people invoking their RIGHTS! It beggars believe and probably safer for the rest of us if they stay tucked up indoors keeping their stupidity shut away for the rest of the year and possibly beyond.

There have even some incredibly brave people making huge personal sacrifices to help keep us safe but also a small number of ridiculous vociferous half wits trying to undermine any sense of well-being that many are desperately trying to cling on to. Selfish and mean spirited carping on and on. You would think they would have bored themselves senseless by now.

Sussex. Interesting that quite a few Tory party members have threatened to leave the party if forced to wear masks......

Lucca Thu 16-Jul-20 15:07:48

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1309590/Boris-Johnson-face-masks-conservative-membership-cards-protest