Pre mask shopping - will you?

It's not advisory, but there aren't enough police to enforce it, so they have dais they won't.

MellowYellow, if your daughter is frightened of losing her sense of smell, please tell her to wear some sort of face covering, it does give a little protection. If she actually gets the virus, she could lose sense of smell for good, as it seems my daughter has done (6 months now) and now has a permanent smell of rotting flesh in her nose.

I’ve worn masks when shopping since lockdown started but now I wonder.
If I carry a card saying I can’t wear a mask, can the virus read?
Will it pass me by like the houses with the lambs blood mark on them during the plague in Egypt?
I found it really strange in Sainsbury’s on Monday, being reproved for not having my mask on before I got to the socially distanced queue, by someone with a lanyard who wasn’t wearing one at all and that’s before it is mandatory.
Perhaps I’ll get a card. I do have an inhaler, so I could.

I agree with so many of you - what is the problem about taking steps to protect yourself - surely that's common sense? If you don't care about others surely protect yourself?

We've not been out for four months and have just started to try a short walk. I wear a mask whenever I go out - apparently it helps to stop me passing the virus to anyone else but not the other way round? I can't see the logic in that at all!

The way I look at it is that if I can take any step at all to reduce the risk I will take it!

Incidentally I was told by an 84yr old the other day that it's only two weeks until it's gone! According to her, from 1st August it's fine for all those who are shielding to go out!!!
Set your clock for 0001 1st August and we'll party!

To be fair to her the 'rules' have been ridiculous as every rule is strongly given, but then every single one has the 'EXCEPT' caviat. I read somewhere that you don't have to wear a mask on a bus if it causes you distress

I would love to take any 'refusers' into the hospital ward where my niece works and make them look at the poor souls still struggling to fight for their lives. The numbers of new cases may be down but the are still many, many currently sick people.

Like you all I will comply and pray!

Callistemon sadly in this pandemic they are all as bad.

are we turning into a nation of spoilt brats or what?

Turning into? I thought we already are!

We went out for our first socially distanced coffee yesterday. Not many masks in sight and then largely on women. A big fat man stared at us in our masks, didn’t he know that being a man and obese meant he could suffer the most?
PS the coffee was lovely but scary!

Masks are a great divider. Some love them, and some hate them, some agree with them, some don’t. I’ve researched this long and hard and I think it’s one of the worst decisions Boris has taken. So yes, I’m about to go shopping and then it will be minimal and mostly online. I appreciate I’ll be in a minority on here....but you did ask the question!

NotSpaghetti I wear glasses. It was trial and error in the early days to avoid them steaming up. I don’t find any particular mask of benefit but have sorted the problem of steamy glasses by how I wear them.

I bring the top rim of the mask up to the bridge of my nose and wear my specs on top of the mask, lower down my nose than normal. I’ve been wearing a mask in shops for months and have eliminated the steam up problem which was really frustrating in the beginning.

Others have suggested a tissue folded under the top rim of the mask works well to trap any moisture.

craftyone

yes, I am well stashed here. I even bought butter to freeze. If I have to wear a face covering, it will slip down over my nose when I am in the shop, I am neither a sheep, anxious, brain washed or scared

Why on earth buy butter to freeze? Are you laying in supplies for a siege? Stockpiling is really neither necessary or public spirited and sounds rather more "scaredy cat" than just putting the damn mask on and getting on with it.
If you were beside me in a queue and pulled your mask down I for one would walk out. It's so selfish and "I'm all right jack"
Sorry to be so blunt but really!

Just been on holiday to Wales were mask are not compulsory but they keep strictly to the two meters rule.Untill August 3rd can't eat inside.Weather been glorious been on beach everyday and ate outside

I am happy to wear a mask in shops, and have been doing so the very rare visits I have had to make. I look at so many states in USA now and see the huge rises in Cov19 figures, because they think it is their civil right to do what they like, and there are so many that do not want to wear masks and protest against them.
I am sure we are hearing conflicting figures and information that we can accept or dismiss according to our own beliefs or opinions. But I just feel that the simple fact is all around the world people are dying from this, and the more we can do now to slow or stop it, perhaps we can return to our free, easy and carefree ways. I for one am happy to wear a mask, stay at home, miss seeing friends, if at the end of this we are all still here. I know we are tired of it, but the alternative is not very appealing to me!!

Jeez! It's a fabric mask. You are not being asked to walk on broken glass. Deal with it.

I haven’t been able to go out for months. Now that I can I wear a mask when going anywhere where there are people, such as medical appointments and shops. Why not?

I have bronchiectasis and asthma but have tried to wear a mask and just can’t breathe in one. I haven’t been in a shop since early March so will continue to get food deliveries and just not go shopping.

Our local Asda have really looked after us, even delivering my medication as well as groceries and I really appreciate the staff. Everything has a good date on it and I have written to thank them.

If mask wearing is advisory, why is there a fine for non compliance?
We should have been wearing masks months ago. My husband and I have worn one in shops or public places since we started to go out again. I don’t believe they don’t protect the wearer as well as other people. It’s a physical barrier, if it protects other people it must give some protection to the wearer too. Scientists recently said that wearing a mask gives up to 65% protection to the wearer, but of course not all scientists agree.

@mcem Thanks for the acknowledgement. The difference for the Scots is the daily briefing from our highly respected First Minister who's presentation is fresh, articulate, well prepared & informed. She also anticipates, as far as possible, the questions people may have. She presents the briefing herself each time with support from 2 relevant ministers or health advisers. I have never been an advocate for Scottish Independence but she is a great advertisement for it.

We’re being asked to wear them to help slow the spread of the virus. A virus which lands seriously ill people in hospital and many don’t survive. The frontline staff who are risking their own well being to care for them have to wear masks for a 12 hour shift. They’re not cutesy soft cotton ones. They are pressure fit masks, the outline of which is embedded on their faces at the end of the day.

Is it really too much to ask us to wear a mask while shopping if there is the slightest chance it might help?

'...whose....'

Maddyone agree that masks are bound to protect the wearer as well as other people. Why on earth this notion was put about, I don't know! I still think there were fears that people would panick buy these items same as the toilet rolls!

What a fuss by people who are obviously quite happy to have the choice of being on a ventilator! I've been wearing a mask for my weekly shop since the beginning of the month, before it became compulsory in Scotland, and it's not a problem. The most comfortable one I find is the one made from a cotton square of 50cm folded (instructions on the BBC site and elsewhere) with 2 hairbands and no sewing involved, although I do use a couple of safety pins to hold it together more securely. Lots of layers, but no problem with breathing (but I don't have asthma). Everyone here seems to wear them, young and old - this is a friendly town where people speak to each other and take an interest in protecting each other.

Also, the Scottish daily briefings are signed, something that doesn’t seem to have crossed the mind of the government here.

just do NOT understand this mentality. Really? This is ridiculous

Yes, Marydoll, totally agree. I think this would all have been over if Lockdown had been earlier and mask wearing at the same time. We were in Cambridge late February, I was pleased, but surprised we were allowed to travel home!! When we got home it was our Golden Wedding Anniversary, I hadn't arranged anything because of Covid, DUH!

The briefings were signed if you watched them on BBC 24 hour news. Surely the Government should have said that face coverings were banned then everyone would have been falling over themselves to obtain and wear them. I have been wearing one in shops the whole way through, just wish OH felt the same.

Liz46 if you aren’t going shopping because you can’t wear a mask, at least you are doing your best for yourself and others by staying away from the shops.
Stay safe.