English people want to bring back mask wearing and social distancing

I do not believe masks offer very much protection at all. The World Health Organisation, and indeed our own government stated this at the very start of the pandemic, but noted that if people feel more secure wearing them, then fine. Unless they are truly medical grade, the holes in the fabric are about 5000 times larger than the aerosol particles of virus which they cannot stop from escaping. Plus most masks are not well fitting. There have been many scientific studies carried out on just this topic worldwide over very many years and a recent Danish one, not well publicised in the media for whatever reason (SAGE like a compliant populace?), reinforces this specific to the Covid virus. I wore a mask when we were forced to comply, now no more. I have been double vaccinated, follow set hygiene protocols and avoid crowded places as I normally do anyway. If people want to wear their masks for however long a period of time it takes them to feel safe that is fine by me! As long as I am not vilified for not wearing one myself.

Personally, (labour voter) I was on the CV list and all my friends/family have stayed well away over the past 16+ months and now that we're all double vaccinated we couldn't wait to see the restrictions and mask wearing to be removed.
Then last weekend I spent 2 days with my son who had picked up a cold at work, needless to say, I've been full of snot, sore throat, killer temperature (40.5C at its worst) all week.
Do I really care that I've suffered this week with a pretty bad cold? No! I'm just glad that these minor ailments are now starting to do the rounds again and are hopefully the worst we'll have to worry about soon and I have absolutely NO intention of going backwards into mask wearing etc!

It is good to be double jabbed but you would be foolish to ignore the fact that you could still get infected, still pass it on, and although you are more likely to get a mild infection, some of the people you pass it on to could die.

Be responsible. Care for others. Wear a mask in indoor public spaces and keep your distance.

Thank goodness I am half Irish.

Harmonypuss do you think it’s possible you could have had Covid? The Delta variant is supposed to present as a cold and sore throat to the double vaccinated.

I’ve just read the OP, where it says English people want to bring back mask wearing and social distancing.
It doesn’t seem to need bringing back where we are. Mums watching children swim at the gym, sit masked and socially distanced, people in church sit socially distanced, people in shops still seem to be wearing masks and not pressing close to each other as they fill their trolleys or queue to pay and people on buses are still masked.
I’m wondering when that will stop.
We can have choir indoors again from September. I wonder if we’ll want to sing in masks?

MerylStreep

Eloethan
New Zealand are not alone they are just ahead of us.
There was a paediatrician on the radio a few weeks back where she explained that we ( in the uk) will experience exactly the same issues.

I was reading an article yesterday where a doctor took us through his day. He said ^we are a very sick nation because of all that has been missed^

It would be interesting to know if this "immunity debt" is suffered year-on-year in Japan, where they wear masks in crowded places and have done for years. I don't remember being hearing of this there.

There may be some problems. However, I would have thought it is most likely to affect those not using the standard hygiene measures we have got used to.

Mollygo

I’ve just read the OP, where it says English people want to bring back mask wearing and social distancing.
It doesn’t seem to need bringing back where we are. Mums watching children swim at the gym, sit masked and socially distanced, people in church sit socially distanced, people in shops still seem to be wearing masks and not pressing close to each other as they fill their trolleys or queue to pay and people on buses are still masked.
I’m wondering when that will stop.
We can have choir indoors again from September. I wonder if we’ll want to sing in masks?

That is quite a simplistic headline Mollygo, as they so often are. It is worth clicking on the link and seeing the details.

Just to note that RSV can result in bronchiolitis. One of my DC had this as a baby and it is very frightening. A neighbour's child was hospitalised but our GP did not think it was necessary for our DC. However, it did seem to cause long-term respiratory problems.

PippaZ
As you seem to doubt what I’ve posted perhaps you might believe this Doctor.

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/09/covid-distancing-may-have-weakened-childrens-immune-system-experts-say

MerylStreep

PippaZ
As you seem to doubt what I’ve posted perhaps you might believe this Doctor.

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/09/covid-distancing-may-have-weakened-childrens-immune-system-experts-say

What an odd post. What makes you think that I doubted that what you reported had been put forward as a possibility? It obviously had. I asked a question and gave a view, neither of which seem unreasonable on re-reading.

Thanks. I’ve followed the link-I like seeing data laud out like that. I have no idea about the political make up of where I live, except we have a Conservative MP, but the hands face space seems to be continuing here, rather than needing to be brought back.

There was a thread on here recently about the rise in RSV in New Zealand and their EDs are in danger of being overwhelmed without Covid cases presenting.

www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE2107/S00071/rsvs-toll-on-health-services-expert-reaction.htm

I have heard this too from a NZ Consultant.

Amlegra and harmonypuss, I am with you. Since July 19th.I have not worn a mask unless requested, which means I have worn it in the hairdresser and intwo shops that requested it.

I shop early in the morning, long before shops get crowded and it is a joy to shop without my glasses steaming up. Please do not inundate me with sure fire solutions. Over the last 18 months I have tried them all and they do not work.

I do not go into crowded places, nor travel on public transport. I think we need to overcome the culture of fear and the need to clutch our masks like comfort blankets or good luck charms against disease.

The most sensible safety step we can take is to get vaccinated ourselves and encourage all around us to get vaccinated as well. The majority of those not being vaccinated are not Anti-Vaxxers, but people who have picked up inaccurate and plain wrong information on social media. What we should do is make sure that we are up to date with the science and the facts coming from epidemiological studies to counter those who believe the cod science put out on social media.

COVID will just become another winter disease like flu, which affects millions and kills thousands each year - that is why we get vaccinated against it, or like measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough, which killed and damaged so many children, which the oldest among us (including me) remember from our childhoods. My closest friend's lungs were permanently damaged by whooping cough and any respiratory infection she catches leaves her very ill and often in hospital.

I left my mask off for the first time while in the supermarket last week, wonderful. I have struggled with wearing the things, especially in the warm weather. Continually having to lift it to wipe my face made it seem a pointless thing to wear it. I notice a lot more people are now leaving them off, and staff in our store have been 50/50 wearing them anyway.
We go shopping at 7am so it's not crowded anyway, I haven't used public transport for years as being in a rural area we don't have much.
I have had the two jabs, won't be having any more. I have never had a flu jab either. We need to have a level of natural immunity.

We need to have a level of natural immunity.

But we don't have any natural immunity, unless we've had the illness, and even then we don't know how long immunity lasts.

I think you might have been a bit misled.

The severity of this virus to so many people has shown that we don’t/didn’t have any natural immunity. I had Covid in January and was extremely ill with it, hospitalised for twelve days and on oxygen for all that time, plus eight different drugs, but I’m lucky because I went home. Nonetheless when I was called for vaccination I went very happily. I’ve had people tell me I didn’t need the vaccine because I’ve had the disease. Well I wasn’t leaving it to chance, and neither should you jusnoneed. I’ve had both my jabs and intend to get the booster when I’m called. I will happily have a booster every year if necessary. I don’t want to be ill again like that, I may not survive next time. Please get your booster when you are called.

Alegrias1

^We need to have a level of natural immunity.^

But we don't have any natural immunity, unless we've had the illness, and even then we don't know how long immunity lasts.

I think you might have been a bit misled.

In addition to this, Covid attacks all the internal organs and causes brain damage.

Does 'flu do that?

Are people really happy to think that they could either be infected by this virus because they can't bear to wear a properly fitted mask, or could be asymptomatic and pass it to others to damage their bodies?

Are they happy to 'live with it' knowing that it can bring about life changing results for a significant number of people who get infected?

I keep looking at this thread title and wondering
How many English people …it refers to?
^ a majority of English people canvassed ?
A % of English people …..
More English than Scots/IrishWelsh^ ….
It is so imprecise as to simply invite a challenge!

We are all wearing masks when out and about here. A gathering in the village ended with at least 5 cases of Covid in twice vaccinated people two were nearly hospitalised so it has put people on their toes again.
I had an appointment with the opticians and they insisted, had hand sanitiser and took my temperature. The joke came when I was trying on new frames they kept steaming up with my mask so the lenses had to be removed for me to see.
I was encouraged to go for a large colourful pair which luckily DH liked when he saw them but I have had labyrinthitis since wearing them and I don't know if I have caught bug or it'd the new lenses. A masked walk up the village in my old pair is planned since I nearly fell under a tractor the other day going to the post.
I suppose we are all doing what we consider safe.

MawBe

I keep looking at this thread title and wondering
How many English people …it refers to?
^ a majority of English people canvassed ?
A % of English people …..
More English than Scots/IrishWelsh^ ….
It is so imprecise as to simply invite a challenge!

It is all explained in the link to the original survey and in several posts upthread.

Eloethan, I read the post in the Guardian and was also told about it by our neighbours who emigrated to NZ a few years ago.
They said there was criticism of the lockdown for the reasons in your article. How long do you think it will be before the lockdown here will come under fire on the media and in Parliament for causing deaths by being too strict instead of too late?
Laura Keunssberg will be at the forefront.

OK - sorry!

If we don't have a certain amount of natural immunity build up in the population to these viruses are we all going to be having five/ten or more jabs every year in the future?
I had flu (not just the heavy cold that many people refer to as flu) about 15 years ago, I have not had even a bad cold since. You would say that's not natural immunity?? My OH has the flu jab every year and every winter he coughs and sneezes his way around for about 4 months. Didn't do that before he started being jabbed.

MawBe

I keep looking at this thread title and wondering
How many English people …it refers to?
^ a majority of English people canvassed ?
A % of English people …..
More English than Scots/IrishWelsh^ ….
It is so imprecise as to simply invite a challenge!

If you read my post PippaZ Fri 06-Aug-21 12:04:49 I have already answered this. Others posted answers around that post.