Are you still wearing a face mask?

MayBee70

I think it’s obscene arguing that certain figures may or not be totally accurate given that each on is a lost loved one. The fact is the figure is rising and it is being normalised by the government.

I'm in quite a bad mood given what I've just been accused of on another post, so excuse me if I'm a bit short tempered.

It matters because things are bad enough without yet another person we've never heard of spouting big numbers to scare people. I complained to my local TV station about the way they were presenting the data and they changed it, because exaggerated data frightens people and misrepresents the situation.

Just saying "well its a big number so it doesn't matter" doesn't cut it, by the way.

Oh, and growstuff - today's figures haven't been released yet, 180 was yesterday. I like things to be accurate and correct. Make of that what you will.

I think it’s obscene arguing that certain figures may or not be totally accurate given that each on is a lost loved one. The fact is the figure is rising and it is being normalised by the government.

The point is that cases, hospitalisations and deaths are all showing an upward trend and will probably continue to do so, unless there are some measures put in place.

I confess I hadn't heard of him until reading this thread and I hadn't a clue what he had said.

It could very well be that on a certain day there were 180 deaths, just that they weren't reported on the same day. You know as well as I do that there's a reporting lag. I haven't got the figures comparing when they happened and when they were reported to hand, so I can't check (and I can't be bothered looking for them).

The current 7 day average number of deaths is 135 a day and rising. Today's total reported deaths is 180 (by coincidence).

Quite honestly, I'm not that bothered when the deaths are reported. I'm more concerned that they're happening and he's absolutely right to highlight that they are too high.

It seems the high number of deaths has been normalised. If this is what "living with Covid" is about, it's a disgrace.

Lockdown Christmas.

Its one of my bugbears growstuff.

He said that on one of the days last week there had been 180 deaths. Of course that wasn't correct because the 180 was the reported number of deaths. He didn't say that on the day before there had been 28 deaths.

I'm not saying that the numbers are not too high, and the 28 was just the reported number as well, but its not nearly such a scary number. I don't think that people in positions of influence should be "bending" the figures to support their viewpoints, because then you don't know whether to believe them or not. Or even worse, does he not know how to interpret the figures?

uk.news.yahoo.com/covid-19-government-adviser-fearful-085743094.html

Alegrias1

Urmstongran

I dare say businesses will be coming up with their own rules, based on what they see as their core demographic.

A sports bar in Chelmsford, decked out in England flags? My feeling is it won't require masks. A vegan cafe in Islington or Bristol? You will have to wrap up your face before ordering that soyamilk fair trade latte.

You really are very discriminatory, aren't you?

I hope you're not suggesting that proud English people in Chelmsford are unthinking idiots who don't care about others' health.

Cause if I said that I'd get flamed, and quite rightly.

I think she's claiming sports fans are thick and selfish.

Alegrias1

I'd be more inclined to believe Prof Openshaw's predictions if he wasn't overestimating the daily deaths by about 50%.

What predictions has he made? Nobody knows with any certainty how many daily deaths there will be in the future. He's right about the current number of cases.

Alegrias1

Urmstongran

I dare say businesses will be coming up with their own rules, based on what they see as their core demographic.

A sports bar in Chelmsford, decked out in England flags? My feeling is it won't require masks. A vegan cafe in Islington or Bristol? You will have to wrap up your face before ordering that soyamilk fair trade latte.

You really are very discriminatory, aren't you?

I hope you're not suggesting that proud English people in Chelmsford are unthinking idiots who don't care about others' health.

Cause if I said that I'd get flamed, and quite rightly.

Why Chelmsford? I don't even think Chelmsford is that well-known for sports bars. However, I know somewhere you can buy a fair trade latte.

Why does it have to be such a big deal? Just wear the b——y things when & where it is, necessary , prudent, & obvious.
I am surprised nobody has yet suggested that we don’t require sanitary wear !

Agree with you TwoWolves

I'd be more inclined to believe Prof Openshaw's predictions if he wasn't overestimating the daily deaths by about 50%.

Prof Openshaw states we have to take matters in our own hands ...don't wait for Gov policy...he believes 1 in 60people in a crowded space will have the virus so to all the non wearing mask people, wear a visor!

Urmstongran

I dare say businesses will be coming up with their own rules, based on what they see as their core demographic.

A sports bar in Chelmsford, decked out in England flags? My feeling is it won't require masks. A vegan cafe in Islington or Bristol? You will have to wrap up your face before ordering that soyamilk fair trade latte.

You really are very discriminatory, aren't you?

I hope you're not suggesting that proud English people in Chelmsford are unthinking idiots who don't care about others' health.

Cause if I said that I'd get flamed, and quite rightly.

I think masks should be mandatory in all public places both indoors and outside. Mask wearing has become a way of life for people in many Asian countries because of air pollution, if they can do it so can we

NOOO‼️ Outside??? Never. Good grief.

I dare say businesses will be coming up with their own rules, based on what they see as their core demographic.

A sports bar in Chelmsford, decked out in England flags? My feeling is it won't require masks. A vegan cafe in Islington or Bristol? You will have to wrap up your face before ordering that soyamilk fair trade latte.

Still wearing mine and will continue to do so.
I accept that I could still catch Covid despite the mask, but at the very least it might protect me from catching seasonal colds and Flu. My resistance to colds and flu is probably reduced now because of not mixing and socialising for nearly two years so I'm more likely to catch them. And if thousands of us succumb to flu this winter that will put an added strain on the medical services.

I'm asthmatic and find it quite hard to breathe while wearing a mask especially when I'm walking, but I still wear it. I think masks should be mandatory in all public places both indoors and outside. Mask wearing has become a way of life for people in many Asian countries because of air pollution, if they can do it so can we.

I'm still wearing masks on public transport and in small shops.

Out and about on tube and buses - I'd say about 80% compliance with more men than women maskless.

I've been to the theatre a few times recently - many people in the crowded foyers wearing masks but inside the auditorium about 20% in masks. At the Royal Court it looked like 100% in masks as there was a reminder to do so, and it's quite a small theatre.

I've never worn one outdoors except when going from shop to shop, or shop onto bus - it takes two hands to put on the mask so it's easier to just leave it on.

growingold I think your statement that wearing masks and lockdown has weakened everyone’s immune system is utter rubbish.

The local economy (or at least individual businesses) are having to do without my input if they don't enforce mask wearing on their premises, so it's swings and roundabouts ... your discomfort against my risk to health.

Lockdown and mask wearing has weakened everyone's immune systems

This is not scientific.

Lockdown and mask wearing have made no difference to people's immunity to Covid, unless the person has been infected. They have prevented people catching other infections, so an immunity to specific infections has not developed. However, this has had no effect on the immune "system".

Am I wearing a mask in public in indoor spaces?

Of course I am - stupid and thoughtless not to.

If I have done a test in the morning and it is negative, then I see no need for a mask as I am not carrying the virus or spreading it. Or are we saying the jabs and tests are a waste of time?

We're saying that the jabs don't work 100% and the false negatives for LFTs are at about 25%.

Still feel invincible?

Agree with Urmston gran and others. I feel a blanket requirement to wear masks makes no sense. The medical profession use them to prevent all sorts of bacteria getting on to patients, and those staff accept that as part of the job. I use one in indoor confined spaces but only then and find them hot, claustrophic and tear them off at the door going out. I really can't understand people wearing them in the open air but that's their choice.

If I have done a test in the morning and it is negative, then I see no need for a mask as I am not carrying the virus or spreading it. Or are we saying the jabs and tests are a waste of time?

I have had 2 jabs, plus a big bout of the virus (before jabs came about, despite handwashing and using a mask), booster due shortly, so in effect I will have had 4 lots of immunity building.

Lockdown and mask wearing has weakened everyone's immune systems - we now need to be letting our systems get out there and strengthened, else we will be falling ill with things we once fought off easily.

In fact I was wearing masks in shops before it was compulsory and got laughed at by shop staff and that attitude did nothing for endearing mask wearing to me.

So, if wearing the nasty things becomes compulsory again, then once again I will not be going out and the local economy will have to do without my input.

Rant over.

Just back from a coach holiday in the north of Scotland, based in a huge hotel. All of our party (pick ups only in Scotland) wore their masks on the coach and while moving about indoors, whereas the other (English based) coach parties seemed to find this amazing, but were mostly happy to comply. One couple told me that they had specifically chosen to come up to Scotland because they felt it would be safer.

We had a salutary lesson when on our lunch stop in Inverness, our driver received instructions that the hotel we were heading for in Dornoch, had closed that morning due to a covid outbreak among the staff. We were redirected to the massive hotel in Strathpeffer, who were able to accomodate us because one of their incoming tours had been cancelled - I think their driver had tested positive. Please take care everyone.

That’s what I meant lemongrove I just didn’t explain my view well. Why on earth are people wearing masks in the fresh air?? It beggars belief.