So masks are to become optional, do you think this is a good idea?

I wish I had 5p for every time I've read "learn to live with Covid" and "get back to normality". I think they're meaningless soundbites and I really wonder if people have thought through the implications or even agree what they mean. They make good tabloid copy, along with numerous inclusions of "freedom" (as though we've all been captured and a blonde knight is going to save us ).

Some people are saying that masks only protect other people, not the wearer. This is almost certainly not true. This is an article by a professor of medicine, called ‘Cloth masks do protect the wearer – breathing in less coronavirus means you get less sick’.

theconversation.com/cloth-masks-do-protect-the-wearer-breathing-in-less-coronavirus-means-you-get-less-sick-143726

She says:

‘Laboratory experiments have shown that good cloth masks and surgical masks could block at least 80% of viral particles from entering your nose and mouth.’

The number of viral particles you breathe in can make the difference between being very ill and not even knowing you’re infected.

‘My colleagues and I believe that evidence from laboratory experiments, case studies like the cruise ship and food processing plant outbreaks and long-known biological principles make a strong case that masks protect the wearer too.’

They protect other people more, but they also protect the wearer.

I personally hate wearing a mask and can’t wait to stop, though I am willing to continue as necessary, and will probably wear them sometimes even if I don’t have to. But I think it’s important to take note of the evidence before making statements like ‘They don’t protect the person who wears them.’

Learning to live with covid just means accepting the fact that it’s ok for people to die or suffer from long term post viral symptoms just so that some people can bury their heads in the sand and pretend that we don’t have an unprecedented viral pandemic that we still don’t fully understand. imo I’m not worrying myself sick about it but neither am I pretending it no longer exists.

“ M0nica

Yes, we have got to get back to normal sooner or later. Like others I have been vaccinated and I live in a rural area where the chances of picking up the disease, let alone transmitting it are very low indeed.

I understand how so many people have developed a morbid fear of disease, but the death rates from COVID are now far lower than for a host of other illnesses including flu and heart disease and no one seems to worry about them.”

That’s great for you. You are totally incorrect about the flu killing more people…UK flu kills approx 15,000 a year each flu season, we’ve had a couple of very bad flu years where the figures have been higher but not as high as COVID 128,000+ in 18 months.

Heart disease, cancer etc might well kill more people each year, but they’re not contagious !

Masks are worn to protect others.

We need to learn to live with COVID, you are correct there, but that doesn’t mean bang on July 19th we bin all precautions !

Athenia

Please do realise that masks do not give any protection, as the molecules concerned are easily able to penetrate them.
The press and media have been told to hype them up and deliberately spread fear and anxiety.
The actual incidence of death from this apparent virus is no more than normal seasonal influenza.
Look at the statistics and you will find that no-one died last winter from flu, as in a normal year. How can that be?
The rates were deliberately managed to intensify fear.
Please don't believe all that you or told, and check my statements too.

I think you are the one who needs to not believe all that you are told, especially by uninformed sources. If you took an objective look at the evidence, and understood it, you would think differently.

Although it will be interesting to see what happens after July 19th, I’m sure we can all guess from the comments on here that some will continue to wear masks and others like me will be delighted to ditch the things.

Actually I am very tempted to have a ceremonial burning of the blasted things in the garden!

Having said that I never travel on public transport, so if for example I was a regular train user I may possibly feel differently.

It’s been stated several times that we will just have to learn to live with the virus, whilst getting back to a normal life, and that’s a sentiment I entirely agree with.

I think it’s now our own responsibility to decide whether or not to wear a mask, and do our own risk assessment. People’s social conscience should mean if you’ve got suspected symptoms then you must isolate or at the very least wear a mask and keep your distance.
We can’t live in a nanny state forever, everyone wants life beforeCovid.

growstuff

MaggsMcG

First time I have had to admit that biscuitmuncher has a point. If masks work how come the Delta (Indian) variant is still rising.

Because the rates are rising in schools, where masks aren't mandatory and people are crowded into poorly ventilated spaces. The majority aren't vaccinated. Look at the stats and it's quite obvious what's happening.

It’s because it’s far more transmissible, even possibly outside. The Kent variant was more transmissible and the Delta variant even more so therefore the virus is now probably 100% more transmissible than it was a year ago. So we have to use every means possible of reducing transmission and viral load.

I use the medical grade disposable masks - although I don't throw them away after one brief use, I hang them up in the spare room for at least a week and then they can be reused. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away after maybe 5 minutes of wear in Tescos. I do throw them away if they get damp or if I am wearing one for an extended period. As I understand it, whilst these masks are not perfect, they do give the wearer some protection (I vaguely recall something about 75%). My husband is extremely clinically vulnerable (ECV) so we will both continue to wear masks on public transport for the foreseeable future, and in shops until the covid figures have dropped to a reasonable level.

I know some are worried about masks becoming voluntary, but we cannot carry on like we are indefinitely. The country needs to get back to as close to normal as possible - covid is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. As I understand it, come the Autumn, all over 50s and ECVs are going to be getting a covid booster in one arm and the flu jab in the other. I also believe quite a few people will continue to wear masks anyway, at least in some circumstances.

Elizabeth1 I too am seriously needlephobic but I forced myself to have the covid vaccines to protect my husband - I found the fear of having to go for the vaccines was far worse than the actual vaccinations themselves. However, when it comes to phobias, being logical is not as easy as some seem to think. Of course it will not be the worse thing any of us have to go through, but that does not stop me shaking before and afterwards - did manage to avoid a panic attack though so was pleased about that. Please tell your vaccinator that you are scared of needles - they will be sympathetic and make it as easy for you as they can

As a personal opinion, I think it's time to make them optional. Life is full of risks. Masks have been optional all our lives. We didn't feel the need to wear them before. Germs and viruses have always been with us. They have always been dangerous to people. I trained for 2 years as an Infectious Diseases nurse. Antibiotics and vaccinations have helped a huge amount over many years. Yes masks should be optional until we all learn to go back to normal. Whatever you are comfortable with is fine now.

I think screens in shops, where possible, is a good idea to protect shop workers but I'm not convinced of the benefits of face masks and/or other "precautions" we have been taking. If face mask, distancing and self isolation reduced the transmission, why are there still so many new positive tests every day?

I am very much in the "we have to learn to live with it" camp and personal responsibility needs to come into play much more - as someone said earlier, they will probably go shopping off-peak to avoid crowds, that is exactly what I am on about. We need to try to get back to a more normal life (I want a life now, not an existence!) and so if are still feeling vulnerable or do things differently to try to reduce your risk you are more than welcome to do that eg shopping off-peak, wearing a mask.

Every day we take risks - eating, drinking, smoking, driving a car, even walking in the street all have an element of risk of injury or possibly death - we can't avoid risk and we need to get the Covid risk into perspective now rather than trying to eradicate the risk entirely (which we will never do) and make our own decisions about what we do and don't do each day.

So why don't we make wearing a seat belt optional then if it's all about deciding our own risks.

'variant running wild' you say but that is the nature of viruses, hundreds of them including flu. Variants are part of viruses. Coronavirus is here to stay like the flu virus and hundreds of other viruses. We. have effective vaccinations now and boosters so we have to return to normal and learn to live with this virus. The trouble is, the Government have been scare mongering the whole population of the UK 24/7 for a year and a half so that everyone complied with their draconian restrictions at huge detriment to the economy, millions of people's livelihoods, children's and young people's education, mental health and an increase in anxiety. Young babies and toddlers social and speech development has been affected too. Lets get back to normality. Life is not without risk and nothing is perfectly safe in this world!

growstuff

I wish I had 5p for every time I've read "learn to live with Covid" and "get back to normality". I think they're meaningless soundbites and I really wonder if people have thought through the implications or even agree what they mean. They make good tabloid copy, along with numerous inclusions of "freedom" (as though we've all been captured and a blonde knight is going to save us ).

They're not meaningless to me growstuff

We need to learn to live with COVID because we need to realise that its here to stay. Somewhere this morning I read on here that even one hospital case of COVID is too much. Well that's unrealistic, isn't it? So at some point we are going to have to realise that people are going to go into hospital and some are going to get very ill.

Get back to normality? Well I posted about that this morning as well. Why would anyone not want to get back to normality? If normality means that we have a life that isn't constrained unnecessarily by government rules, often put in place for unrealistic reasons, and where we don't have to be worried about every personal interaction.

That's what it means.

Good points.

For the past fortnight or three weeks, it has no longer been a legal requirement to wear a mask in shops or when seated in public transport here in Denmark.

Obviously, anyone who wants still to wear one, does so.

There hasn't been an increase in cases of covid 19 since the restrictions were changed.

OP, how much contact do you actually have with customers?

If it is only a matter of standing at the till, surely you already have a perpex screen in place there?

If not, one would obviously make you safer.

aggie

I’ve just ordered more washable masks , I’ll keep wearing them , might stop me getting Flu as well as Covid

Buy FFP2/KN95 which filter the air you breathe in. You wearing a face covering protects others, not yourself

I don’t think masks should be optional in public indoor venues just yet while there are increasing rates of infection with the delta mutation in this country and so much of the world is unvaccinated. While the virus is circulating widely, it will continue to mutate here and elsewhere and new mutations may be more problematic. Wearing a mask is only a minor inconvenience. It does not prevent activities, close businesses, and so on. I will be reluctant to go into indoor venues such as shops if everybody else is unmasked. So it will definitely limit my life and others like me who are older or ill and can contract covid and still be quite sick even if we are vaccinated. Luckily I believe this is to be delayed a bit in Scotland. The new Health Secretary seems to be going down the road of ignoring scientific advice again which has not worked well for us in this country in the past. I have some PP2 masks and am thinking of investing in PP3 masks which I think give some protection to the wearer.

I'm very unure of what next from a personal point of view. I know we have to get used to the fact that Covid is here to stay and is the new normal. On the other hand with cases of the Delta variant rising and having spent so long shielding with my CEV son, I am not sure I am ready yet. But the longer it goes on the harder it will be.

Stop wearing masks because the government says it’s fine. Like letting in flights from China and Italy was fine at the start of the pandemic. Oh, and letting children return to school was fine before the second wave. Then it was fine to keep India from the red travel list before the Delta variant took hold. Let’s be honest there are a lot of selfish people who don’t like wearing masks so this is going to be yet another bad decision from an incompetent self serving government.

YES!!!

Buttonjugs
Please can we ditch the words 'selfish' and also 'safe'. They have been over used during this Pandemic and are meaningless now. If people feel that unsafe even after vaccination then they can always walk round in a hamzat suit and full PPE but let the rest of us get on with our lives and running our businesses!

I'm listening to the radio a lot today. Jeremy Vine just read out a comment from somebody saying we shouldn't complain because during the War people had to carry gas masks.

I think it would be a good thing to keep wearing masks in supermarkets and larger shops for customers and staff. It is quite a pleasure now to shop and not find someone sneezing and coughing all over the food, veg and customers.

@chattykathy Please see my comment at 12:04 today.