Should masks be worn by all food handlers in the future?

M0nica

Hospital staff did not wear masks all the time before COVID. surgeons only wore them in theatre, although at times, that might be for quite a time.

Last November masks did not stop DH getting an infection (not COVID) when in hospital for heart surgery. Where the infection was based - the surgical incision and the lung that was deflated during the operation - suggests that he picked the infection up in the operating theatre. It came close to killing him and required three extra operations over 2 weeks to ensure recovery.

Masks are not some magic talisman that protect from all infection.

I can't see how your DH's infection is relevant to a discussion on mask wearing, MOnica unless it was an airborne infection passed on by one of the theatre staff with a poorly fitting mask.

I don't think that anyone is claiming that masks protect from all infection, are they? Masks prevent you from spreading your respiratory diseases on to all and sundry.

Biscuitmuncher

I'm not wearing them shopping after the restrictions end

Explain your objection? Were you also anti lockdown ?

I prefer food that hasn't been handled much - or can be washed. At 15 I had a Saturday job in a grocers where the staff never, ever, washed their hands - even after using the loo!

Lucca I agreed with Biscuitmuncher. I was wearing a mask and gloves from the second week of the lockdown and wore both until about a month ago when I stopped wearing gloves. I still wear a mask at all times when in shops or other places where we are told to.

I fully supported lockdown as do all my family and we have obeyed the rules.

I fail to see why deciding not to wear a mask as soon as we are told that we no longer need one is a sign that we either were even mildly anti-lockdown or other than fully supportive of government instructions

Perhaps you could explain why you think stopping wearing masks when we are given permission to do so could mean we were anti-lockdown - and no, I am not Anti-Vax nor do I support any other conspiracy theory. Throughout lockdown I have been a model citizen.

M0nica ..... The voice of sense. I agree completely.

>Maizie* DH's problem is relevant bcause he was in hospital when the 2nd wave of COVID was ramping up so biosecurity in the hospital was very high indeed. Despite that he still managed to pick up an infection, or rather the bacteria was transferred into his body. The point I was making was contained in the last sentence of that post.

Masks are not some magic talisman that protect from all infection. A lot of people give the impression that they think masks can fulfill that purpose that as long as you wear a mask, all will be well and no more is needed.

Lucca very anti lockdown. And I hate the absolutely pointless masks

I hate wearing masks, most people probably do, but I believe that they are far from pointless. I live in one of the most densely populated places in the world, and people here took it upon themselves to wear masks right from the very beginning of Covid. Unlike in the UK, where it took a long time to convince people they should wear them, by which time tens of thousands of people had already needlessly died. We have had very few cases/deaths here, but I dread to think how the virus would've spread, especially being such a densely populated place, if people hadn't been wearing masks.

No, masks are not pointless, I an constantly coughing and sneezing and the first time I shopped in lock down I had a sneezing fit in the supermarket, first I sneezed into my sleeve and spent the rst of the shop trying to make sure that that did not brush against anything, then that left my nose y runny so I had to fossick for a hankie, use it and find somewhere to place it so it would be seen to be uncontainating and then I had to find my hand sanitiser and use it.

The following week, it was all contained within the mask and my shopping was so much easier. I also wore rubber gloves so that if I did needto blow my nose, I could just peel my gloves off inside out and put another pair on.

My son in law is a driving instructor. he is working 10 hour days because everyone wants lessons now. Impossible to wear a mask all day in a hot sweaty car. he asks his pupils, but they all say they aren't bothered if he doesnt wear a mask.

Agree with Monica and others, I have always wore a mask, sanitized my hands and used wipes on my shopping.
Today was the 1st day we just put shopping away without wiping it.
I dont think people preparing food in hot kitchens should have too wear masks either, it would make them very uncomfortable and in the heat if the kitchen could make them feel I'll.

Gosh, Monica, you are certainly on a roll today. I have read and digested every word and salute your levelheadedness and positive attitude to life in general. Sound common sense with lots of practicalities thrown in. So sad your husband (therefore you) was put through the mill but glad he survived the awfulness. Keep it coming (please?!)

Wearing a mask makes my nose itch and run. I wear one when shopping and did for a hospital visit but that's all. Unless there's a pandemic in progress I don't think we should have to wear them. A lot of human interaction is lost when faces are behind masks, which is a serious loss.

PS Sometimes while shopping I have to pull my mask down in order to blow my nose. I use washable hankies as I always have. This has never made me or anyone else ill in normal circumstances.

Ellianne

Here

Sushi Daily will have different rules to Waitrose own counters by the way.

Perhaps a solution to the money handling thing is to keep the cashless rule that most places have ,using cards only. So much easier with contactless payment. I think wearing a mask in a steamy kitchen all day would be a nightmare.

Absolutely !! Why not ?? Personally I’d still wear them on crowded public transport - tubes and packed buses ew !!

I’d quite like to see it in some food shops, where the food is not going to be cooked before being eaten-pies, freshly made sandwiches, cooked meats etc.
I’m so used to wearing one in work, it will feel strange without it and the children will stop mentioning my smiley eyes. All the same I’ll be glad when I don’t need one.
Next winter I’ll probably wear one in crowded places just in case it might mean another year free from colds and flu.

The idea is quite good but wouldn’t work if they accidentally coughed or sneezed. Let’s face it, the medical fraternity have been having to wear their masks for hours, not pleasant but necessary.

I've had both my Astra-Zenica vaccinations. My husband and I are on the Office of National Statistics testing. we were both tested (both blood and swabs) after the 2nd vaccination.
My husband came back with antibodies but I have no antibodies. I am presuming that it's because I have been taking Prednisolone since last August (10 months) and this lowers your immunity.
At least I know that I have no antibodies so I will have to be extra careful, but I only know this because I was asked if I wanted to be on ONS testing and accepted!
I'm going to try to have a telephone appointment with my GP after the Bank Holiday to see if there's anything I should be doing/ not doing or if I'm able to have maybe the Moderna vaccination to see if that works any better for me.

Agree Monica, think there will be less food prep staff imo wanting to work in that field!

Having spent most of my life in food. My staff weren’t allowed to wear heavy makeup, fake nails or loose hair. But also wore a hair net. I do agree that ppl in regular food shops etc. Don’t stick to the same standards and they should. I have completed to many a shop about it. I think it should be standard practice. But what is shocking me the most is how many ppl don’t sanitizer their hands before walking into these shops that you are complaining about, I always wash and sanitizer well before covid came. Yet most ppl walk past me and don’t bother anymore. So the general public have even stopped. Double standards

If the pandemic ever ends then it seems to me that it would be a good idea to nevertheless retain some of the precautionary measures that have arisen. For example, the plastic screens between customers and the people at the checkout. Even adding them as standard in new installations of checkouts.

Will 'going back to normal' mean accepting twenty thousand deaths from flu each winter when a few COVID-19-era precautions could reduce or even eliminate them?

I remember, years ago, being in a short queue in a cake shop, and the lady serving was taking money and handling cakes, and a pair of tongs was lying unused on the counter.

I decided to quietly leave the shop before I reached the front of the queue.

I once saw something about how some people from a London hospital had gone out and taken swab samples from buttons on pelican crossings, the chained pens on the counter in banks and so on and found MRSA contamination widespread. I never touched a pelican crossing button after that and I always took my own pen to the bank too. Going over the top or being sensible? I don't know how many illnesses I may have avoided - none? lots? I just don't know.

Erring on the side of caution may not be necessary - but it might be, so best to do it in my opinion.

I would like to see the results of research (must be some of decent quality) on mask wearing/contamination when worn over a long period, i.e. a working day. Would masks need changing frequently? Would workers comply? Would this affect our immune systems?

I am very much pro-mask in our Covid time but again and again see people with masks under their noses, only mouths are covered and I have seen one hospital nurse wearing her mask like this! Employees may not be happy at masks being made mandatory.

Personally, I would have three or more chest infections between October and March, sometimes more but last winter, not one. Yes, I didn't socialise or use public transport but was out and about and through necessity in and out of hospitals/GP surgeries and not one sniffle did I have.

I will continue wearing masks in the future when outside my house and mixing with large groups of people. Seems sensible to me in my circumstance. Whether this latches on to the public's psyche, I don't know but would hope so.

If I were a food-handler, I presume that if presented with the choice of wearing a mask or no job, I guess I would choose the former and in time perhaps this would become the norm.

Apart from whether or not Covid or bacteria can be transmitted poor hygiene can be off putting. For instance an assistant sneezing whilst slicing ham off the bone. In the bakers taking out the rubbish bins and serving unwrapped loaves. In a factory canteen it was found that excreta was found on the food caused by staff not washing their hands after going to the loo. I could cite many other instances.