Are you still wearing a face mask?

TwoWolves

Shelflife - the number of facemask lovers who have gone on to catch covid is remarkable. There are even some Gransnetters who have said it happened to them. I think Covid laughs in the face of facemasks.

As for being foolish, I've had two vaccinations and will go for a booster. And would stay indoors if I had symptoms - that's as far as I'm prepared to go to protect myself or others because facemasks DO NOT WORK.

By the time you have symptoms you’ve probably infected other people…which would be less likely if you wore a mask.

I have had my two AZ vaccinations, my Pfizer booster and a flu jab thrown in so that is me sorted for another year.

I would not dream of going out without a mask and I also have noticed that many no longer bother and some have the mask sitting beneath their nose. That really is a waste of time.

So we have two choices (there may be more):

We can take heed of anecdotal stories of people who refuse to wear a mask and who say that masks don’t work to reduce infections.
OR:
We can reach an informed conclusion by researching the evidence.

I personally opt for the latter course of action.

The link below leads to quite a long read so I’ve copied and pasted the relevant para’s for you.

Conclusion

Our review of the literature offers evidence in favor of widespread mask use as source control to reduce community transmission: Nonmedical masks use materials that obstruct particles of the necessary size; people are most infectious in the initial period postinfection, where it is common to have few or no symptoms (45, 46, 141); nonmedical masks have been effective in reducing transmission of respiratory viruses; and places and time periods where mask usage is required or widespread have shown substantially lower community transmission.

The available evidence suggests that near-universal adoption of nonmedical masks when out in public, in combination with complementary public health measures, could successfully reduce Re to below 1, thereby reducing community spread if such measures are sustained. Economic analysis suggests that mask wearing mandates could add 1 trillion dollars to the US GDP (32, 34).

www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118

And that, dear folks, is why I still wear a mask. ?

Yep.

Yes, we do wear masks, both where we have to, like the pharmacy and Dr’s and where it’s optional, shops etc.
The low incidence of colds and flu when the majority were wearing them shows they do something and medics have been wearing them forever in a clinical setting. I’m all for them being mandated, with appropriate enforcement, as they were before. Enforcement was minimal before, people were scared, a no mask, no entry instruction is clear and works well in other countries.

I’m still wearing a mask in public places. I’m just back from a supermarket, most people were wearing one.

We have continued to wear masks and will do so fir the foreseeable future. I can’t see a time when I will not do so.
Since the beginning of the pandemic I haven’t had my usual seasonal cold.

I'm still wearing a face mask as feel too anxious to not..and when people are coughing in shops etc, feel more protected. Wish the Gov. would listen to GPs and BMA and introduce compulsory wearing in public places?if people don't like the masks, they can wear the face visors!

I don’t want to tempt fate but ditto “coolgran”.
I don’t mind wearing a mask at all and if/when I next go on an airplane I definitely will.
I have picked up many germs on flights and trains in the past. Folk really don’t mind coughing and sneezing all over you.

Yes when we are indoors in public spaces, or on public transport.

I do believe well-fitted masks, worn properly, will reduce the chance of catching or spreading covid. (Not many of the masks I've seen fit those criteria though.)

If a mask is even 50% effective then why wouldn't you want to reduce the risk by 50% ?? To me it seems barmy not to.

Yes I still wear mine in shops and still wash my hands a lot more than I used to before covid.

I haven't even had a cold since the pandemic started so something must be working!

Still wearing a mask on the odd occasion I go out. If everyone wore one and socially distanced maybe those households who have vulnerable people would be able to enjoy a bit more freedom.

I still wear mine when I go inside anywhere and also on the street if there are a lot of folk about. I try and keep a distance from any non-mask wearer but I notice that in the supermarket, fewer and fewer people are wearing them. I think they should be made mandatory again right now. But why should people accept it when the Conservatives seem to have ordained that their MPs don’t wear masks in the Commons chamber?!

I am in Spain at the moment and wearing masks indoors is mandatory and everyone obeys. That, and their vaccination programme which is way ahead of ours has brought their cases down to just over a thousand a day.

I wear one in public spaces. It might not protect others or me but then again it might. So many double jabbed people of my acquaintance going down with covid. Nobody with more than cold symptoms, fortunately. Bit of a nuisance with my glasses but I don't mind that.

I had a bit of a panic yesterday as I had to go to the post office and couldn’t remember sanitising my hands when I got back to the car. Then I remembered that I put sanitiser on as soon as I got home because I put some on the steering wheel. I had sanitised my hands before going in the shop but had used my credit card and had to key in my PIN number. I don’t think I touch my face as much as I used to. And I obviously wore a mask. I did buy several masks and filters last year but find myself using single use ones most if the time. I feel guilty about that but it is far easier. And I rarely go anywhere anyway.

Yes

Happily for us mask wearing in indoor public places is mandatory in Wales.
I’m afraid the great British public need to be told, freedom of choice doesn’t apply when it involves public safety.
We don’t say that driving at 30 mph in a built up area you’re less likely to kill a child if they should run out but it’s your choice.
I would like to see public safety films on television showing the ignorant how to wear a mask correctly.
Hands, face, space. Let’s just do it. No brainer.

I still wear one in shops and on public transport - it’s supposed to be compulsory on all London transport, but we used the tube the other day, and lots of people were wearing them below their mouths and noses, or not at all.

Even the wording of the announcements on TFL should be toughened up IMO - You must wear a face covering, unless….’ instead of the politely pussyfooting ‘Please wear a face covering…’

I dare say all the people who aren’t bothering will be among the first to be wailing and gnashing their teeth if we have another lockdown any time soon, esp. if it’s over Christmas.

Evidence, hmm, well that's hard to come by - I can produce many scientific reports that say facemasks are useless, just as you can produce many scientific reports that say that aren't. But have any rigorous, controlled experiments been carried out by either side? No, of course they haven't - it would be unethical and dangerous to do so. You would have to have a person infected with covid placed in a room with non-facemask wearers; and another person infected with covid placed in a room with facemasks wearers to be able to come up with anything definitive.

So, my main, but not sole, reasons for not believing they work is that:
Newsreporters keep comparing us to other countries where facemasks are generally worn and with lowish covid rates, but omit to mention places like Norway - no masks, virtually no covid; Wales, always had masks, largest covid rates in the UK at the moment; Scotland, always had masks, previously known as the Covid capital of Europe. I could go on....

The MPs don't wear them in the HoC. And before you mention arrogant Tories, a news reporter reported that Labour MPs were just as bad at the recent conference - they only fished the facemasks out when they thought the cameras were near!

Our Queen - I haven't seen her wear one since they were made non-mandatory. Do you honestly think for one minute she'd have been let out of the palace without wearing a mask if she, a (probably) triple-vaccinated 95 year old women, if she was in any danger of catching covid? Honestly?

I remember being very dubious about facemasks when they were first made mandatory, and mentioned it on here, expecting others to agree with me. I was taken by surprise by the hatred expressed toward me and the expectation of my imminent death - yet I'm still here. Never had covid (had an antibody test, so I know for sure). I'm not saying I'll never get it, but if I do, it won't be because of a flippin' facemask.

Also, we spent a weekend recently with some friends and we ruined the whole time by arguing about facemasks. Then, right at the end of the weekend, after me rubbishing their arguments, and they rubbishing mine, they said 'Oh, we don't believe in climate change, though'!! FGS. The point I'm making is that you have your beliefs, I have mine and we're probably all too set in our ways to change our minds. So I'm not going to argue the toss about it any more.

Just back from the doctors and visit to two shops. Considering Cornwall has the highest cases in the south west and it’s rising, I saw about 1/3 not wearing masks in the shops. Cases here are higher than the figure for UK and the hospital is struggling.

I wish and hope it is made compulsory but doubt it will happen.

Up to you TwoWolves, but if I see anybody without a mask in an enclosed space, I keep well clear. I couldn't really care less about your friends' opinion on climate change. I don't understand why anybody should be such a snowflake or so selfish about something so simple as wearing a mask. I wouldn't be surprised if the Queen is tested frequently.

And everyone in close contact with her is probably tested too.

I bet she is antibody tested in a regular basis, too. Something I’d love to have done.

Husband popped into greengrocer for me today, said he was the only one in the small shop wearing a mask. Not even the assistants were.