Will you be wearing a mask?

If masks do become available to all and it become mandatory to wear one well yes. Unless you have one of the super duper filtering types then they don't stop a virus getting to you but it stops the wearer spreading to others. Together with hand washing the risk will be lessened moving about surely.

Living in Spain most people have worn them since our lockdown. I will continue to wear one after the lockdown ends.
Im not really interested in what WHO says I feel better wearing one and my gloves. And I’m very careful about cross contamination when getting back into my car.
I think people will do what makes them feel comfortable. Truly believe that if masks were readily available Spain would make the wearing of such compulsory.

HannahLoisLuke why on earth do you wear a pair of latex gloves to the clinic when you are having your wet macular injected? Washing your hands is more than adequate- are you washing your hands when washing the gloves? I doubt it.

Rumtumtoby there are various types of masks worn in hospital- the usual ones last around 2 minutes whereas there are others of medical quality used by ITU staff caring for Covid19 patients. These last longer but are still disposable.

Yes I will!!! Definitely! The reason being that they stop coughs and sneezes spreading by infectious people. That is the point, not to protect yourself especially but to cut down spread by people who are unknowingly infected. I have made 26 so far for friends and family, as we come out of lockdown l think they will be more necessary and many countries are doing this

I have made my own mask and masks for all my family, 10 in all. They are made from 2 pieces of fabric each 9 in x 6 in, and two pieces of elastic to go over the ears. They are easy to make especially if you have a sewing machine but could be made by hand. Look on line you'll find a number of people showing you how to make them. I enjoyed making them but I'm not sure if anyone has actually worn one outside yet, except me.

Better safe than sorry and not make a fuss.

craftyone

You are right about viruses being able to get through the fabric of cloth masks, but ….

A photon is similar to an electron, which is a tiny (negligible) part of an atom.

A virus is made of largish proteins made, of amino acid molecules, made of dozens of atoms.

The scientific assessments have shown masks to be of some, but rather limited, use in protecting the wearer but do reduce the range of travel of exhaled breaths, and so the chance of other people breathing any virus particles in the breath, being inhaled by bystanders.

World Economic Forum assessment of masks:

Masks have a compounding effect in that they both protect an individual from transmitting and being exposed to infection. The impact of this could, conceivably, be a dramatic reduction of R0. If we are to assume masks are 80% effective in preventing spread on an individual basis, the overall risk-reduction in a single interaction between two people should be 96%. If we are to be conservative and assume that low compliance and mask-quality reduce individual risk by 50% instead of 80%, the overall risk reduction within a single interaction between two people is 75%.

I have been wearing a mask and will keep wearing one till we are all vaccinated ! Why are they of no use if the NHS staff all wear them to prevent giving or getting an infection?

I'm in the shielding group so not going anywhere except my eye clinic for injections.
I did however buy myself some masks several weeks ago, reusable and with a respiratory valve and I wear one plus a pair of latex gloves when I go to the clinic.
I don't believe this stuff about them not doing any good, I think any face covering is better than nothing and have always thought so. Now it seems I may be right.
If you can't get masks now because of the demand there are tutorials on YouTube for making your own, not as good but still better than nothing.

no, I suffer with claustrophobia

At the moment I just wear disposable gloves. However, I saw a lady shopping wearing gloves the other day. When she had finished shopping, she removed the gloves and then pushed the trolley to her car - surely she should have kept the gloves on until she got into her car!!!

If I dont get a waxing, facial and a hairdo soon I shall be wearing a balaclava and goggles.

They offer false reassurance
The virus passes through them
They hold the virus and then you touch the mask(or whatever you use)
Not good, and the science just isn’t there to prove their use

My dh and i have been wearing a snood for weeks and will carry on doing so.
What`s there to loose.

I mean losing the ability to think rationally!

Crafty one
Agree totally. Masks are useless and actually dangerous as they offer false protection
We are terrified and confused and as a society are using the ability to think rationally

There are plenty in stock on Amazon

I think my local pharmacist is hoping for extra early retirement because along with his overpriced hand sanitisers and packs of disinfectant cloths each disposable mask is £3. I do not think so.

Grannysyb exactly that's what I found when I was queing for the chemist! And I find it more difficult than ever to hear what people are saying as I must lip read to a certain extent!

Giulia and Nonna thanks, that's what I've heard on fb, perhaps as you say it depends on the local council but I don't think you could enforce it if you had to source them and pay for it.

The trouble is when wearing a mask my glasses steam up. I have one mask which I got when I bought a pile of stuff to kill the carpet moth. It is quite thick and has one of those little vents on the side.

BlueBelle I’m inclined to think the same. Ironically the only ones that seem to be available to purchase online if we are told to wear them are being shipped from China. I had a look on amazon and couldn’t find any UK stockist. Many of those available to order have warning messages from reviewers advising not to buy as they are overpriced ineffective tat.

Surely if masks were effective China would have never caught it in the first place Chinese are massive mask wearers

No free masks in our area of Italy! Hardly any at all. DH managed to buy 2 in the chemist. 6E each!! We have to wear them!!

...totally USELESS ...Grrr! Sorry