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

I think people might start complaining about me you know and I'll get banned

I'm really sorry but I pulled this face when he shuffled off. I though Whitty was going to answer another question.

I suspect though it will be the final nail in the coffin for the NHS and SJ will be getting his advice from JPM

If you ever doubted the logic and mental ability of our glorious leader, now you know for sure, he’s not the full shilling!
God help us all!

Yes. The JVT Mum test!

i noticed JVT wasn't there too and thought exactly the same! what would JVT tell his Mother huh?

Mixed messages yet again. Even Whitty pointed out that it was a political decision, not a scientific one and that he’d continue to wear a mask in indoor places. I wish Whitty would man up a bit like JVT who, I would assume, the PM would have been scared to share today’s podium with.

sorry I meant to preview that but pressed post instead, oh well

I have felt a bit disorientated in a mask too. I wondered if you have to train your brain. I am deaf in one ear and I suspect, given my children, I may be somewhere on the autistic spectrum as well. So when I wore a mask it seemed to produce another obstacle which was quite negative in a sensory way. I had to wear one to drive my daughter to college though and I have to say, after 2 weeks of doing it I completely forgot about wearing it.

I'm quite flabbergasted by Mr BJ's announcement btw. Yes we can all take personal responsibility but we can't really do that if we have to rely on others to do our care or other things. That isn't even about age either. Never mind, it wont really affect him will it? I'm just glad my Mum has decided to retire early - a decision she only took last week.

growstuff

rosie1959

EthelJ they are asking us to use a bit of common sense. Sometimes rules around masks are daft. My DH walks into the pub wearing a mask after about 6 feet he sits down and takes it off To me the end of such pointless exercises is beyond overdue

There's no such thing as common sense.

Personally, I wouldn't go into a pub where people aren't wearing masks, unless it were extremely well ventilated, but there's no reason to give other venues an excuse for people not to be masked. All it will do is give business owners yet another headache, if they want to enforce mask wearing.

Better keep out of the pub then Growstuff

Growstuff as I have now pointed out several times this has nothing to do with eyesight I am claustrophobic so this may have an effect
Just because you do not understand it that does not make it less unreal.
I am highly unlikely to be any wear near you but you may well find when masks are dropped many are not wearing them

No, I don't think I will. What would be the point?

BTW, I tripped and fell on the stairs in the hairdresser last week, because the mask I was wearing blocked my line of sight down the stairs.

In the grand scheme of things, it was fine, at least I didn't tumble downstairs and break my neck.

Was it normal? No, it wasn't.

rosie1959

Growstuff I said it makes me feel disoriented whether you understand it or not is totally irrelevant to me
I was also pointing out that as masks have been dropped here very few are wearing them so given a choice it appears many will not.

Quite honestly, your problems with eyesight are irrelevant to me too. I just don't want to be in an enclosed space with you and your friends.

No, I didn't ignore it Alegrias. I just didn't respond. Maybe you'd be so kind as to explain why you can't do those things wearing a mask.

rosie1959

EthelJ they are asking us to use a bit of common sense. Sometimes rules around masks are daft. My DH walks into the pub wearing a mask after about 6 feet he sits down and takes it off To me the end of such pointless exercises is beyond overdue

There's no such thing as common sense.

Personally, I wouldn't go into a pub where people aren't wearing masks, unless it were extremely well ventilated, but there's no reason to give other venues an excuse for people not to be masked. All it will do is give business owners yet another headache, if they want to enforce mask wearing.

Children over 12 actually have a very high risk of being infected and have a high risk of suffering from Long Covid.

In the middle of a pandemic its incumbent on everyone to use language carefully and not inflame the situation, so let's look at this.

Looking at Scottish data, which I'm most familiar with, around 3,000 children aged over 12 have developed Covid in the last week, that's about 13% of all Covid cases. The relative risk of children in this age bracket developing Covid is less than any other age group between 20 and 64. (Incidentally, the number of children in this age bracket who have died in Scotland is....0)

Are they at a high risk of developing Long Covid? Well I can't find any age-stratified results, but in the Zoe App Prof Spector shows that one person in 45 is likely to suffer from symptoms for longer than 12 weeks. Statistically, the incidence of Long Covid in under 50s is about half of what it is in over 70s. So we're talking about a risk for children of about 1-2%.

So I don't agree that children have a "high risk" of developing Long Covid.

If we're going to make sweeping statements, we need to make sure they are accurate. You can tell me now that 1% of a big number is a big number....

BTW growstuff- I explained what life return to normal means for some, but you appear to have ignored it.

Growstuff I said it makes me feel disoriented whether you understand it or not is totally irrelevant to me
I was also pointing out that as masks have been dropped here very few are wearing them so given a choice it appears many will not.

EthelJ

It's very interesting that Chris Whitty, Patrick Vallance and even Boris Johnson have just said they would continue to wear masks in indoor spaces where they are with people they are not normally with to protect others as a common courtesy.

And that there will be guidance but not law. They should just keep it mandatory!

Helen Whately said the same. Presumably they're expecting people to continue wearing them and leaving the fall out to shopkeepers, etc and will blame the public for being irresponsible when cases rise.

EthelJ they are asking us to use a bit of common sense. Sometimes rules around masks are daft. My DH walks into the pub wearing a mask after about 6 feet he sits down and takes it off To me the end of such pointless exercises is beyond overdue

rosie1959

Growstuff I as mentioned in a previous post I am in Jersey where face masks are now not required
I am sorry you don’t understand and of course I don’t wear a mask over my eyes but I do find they have this effect I am not alone I have many friends who feel like this
But it was so good to walk around without it

Whether you're in Jersey or any other part of the world, I'm afraid I'm at a loss to understand how wearing a mask affects your eyes. I'm afraid I don't have any friends with this problem either. It just seems a little odd.

It's very interesting that Chris Whitty, Patrick Vallance and even Boris Johnson have just said they would continue to wear masks in indoor spaces where they are with people they are not normally with to protect others as a common courtesy.

And that there will be guidance but not law. They should just keep it mandatory!

Growstuff I as mentioned in a previous post I am in Jersey where face masks are now not required
I am sorry you don’t understand and of course I don’t wear a mask over my eyes but I do find they have this effect I am not alone I have many friends who feel like this
But it was so good to walk around without it

My goodness! I claim another 5p for parroting of the "life return to normal" mantra.

JenniferEccles

I don’t think there are any plans at the moment to vaccinate children, so they will presumably still be slightly at risk of catching the virus and possibly passing it on.

However we know children have a very tiny risk of becoming seriously ill and day by day there will be fewer unvaccinated adults to potentially pass it on to.

Also of course once a child or teen has had it they will have built up antibodies to prevent them getting it again.

I know I am stating the obvious here but I do feel that a lot of folks fears are unfounded.

I guess it will take a while for some people to accept that life has to return to normal, but I’m sure confidence will return.

Children over 12 actually have a very high risk of being infected and have a high risk of suffering from Long Covid. They are currently being forced into over-crowded environments with poor ventilation and almost no mitigation.

Skye17

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.’

Well said.

Gabrielle56

Any establishment shop pub hotel etc have the right to refuse either entry or to serve anyone they choose for any-or no-reason. Your establishment your rules. I'd have a polite notice asking customers to use a mask if they have one but if you're so scared, maybe the shop is not the environment for you? If you've had your jabs you're going to be ok anyway. If anyone is being objectionable you also can ask them to leave!

Any business with a sign with that wording wouldn't get any trade from me.