Wonderful News - No more face masks

I will continue to wear a mask in any indoor public setting for my sake and the sake of others. I will also side step those who don’t wear a mask and hope they have the good grace to keep away from me.

I shall continue to wear mine in shops and on public transport, I love not having halitosis fumes coming my way?

I will still be wearing mine in shops, if I have to use Public Transport or Taxis I will also wear one.

How many lives are lost through catching the ‘flu and how many lives will be saved if we carry on wearing masks, especially if we are coughing and sneezing.? I’m sure they will protect thousands of people.

I’ll be going home on the bus tonight. Up to now most people are still wearing them but I wouldn’t be surprised if very few are wearing them tonight on the bus.

I haven’t decided what to do yet.

here's another to check, it's no wonder there are so many conspiracy theorists. i was completely taken in by the link provided by lilacchaser, but not after checking this one.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swiss_policy_research_logo.png

I've never stopped wearing my mask in shops and will continue to do so.

It would be interesting to know how many proponents of mask wearing go out and about every day and also wear glasses. I think that makes a big difference.
None of the devices supposed to de-fog glasses work well and the ubiquitous thin blue and white ones don't fit well and don't serve much purpose that I can see.

Masks serve a purpose in crowded places but it would be a pity if they were regarded as some some sort of charm or talisman.

I wear glasses winterwhite and the misting was so annoying in the early days. I overcame the problem by trial and error. I find what works best is to have a generous sized mask with a nose clip. I pull the centre of the mask up to the bridge of my nose, bend the clip to mould it to my nose then sit my glasses on top of the mask. It has eliminated the problem for me.

I will still wear mine, ive had Covid and it took me a good month to feel normal again ( some will question the normal hahaha )

Seriously, i will most definitely wear my mask indoors.

I wear glasses and always wear a mask in shops. Silk masks stop the misting up and I never have a problem.

When I was in a shop this morning a woman was sneezing. She was wearing a mask so the sneeze won't have travelled as far.
Masks do work to prevent infection. That's why medical staff wear them.

winterwhite I wear glasses and like Grannynannywanny have successfully managed to overcome the problem of misting, so it's not that hard to do. Getting an adjustable, good-fitting, good quality mask with a nose clip makes all the difference.

MayBe70

There are many reasons why I don't believe they offer protection, but the main reason is from something I witnessed earlier this month (I have written about this on another thread).

I'm a bird watcher and, on one very cold day, I visited a bird hide. Watching the birds, I became distracted by a plume of smoke coming from a woman in front of me. I thought she was smoking at first. It wasn't smoke, however, but air/water droplets from her mouth showing up as clouds of condensation. This plume of 'smoke' was coming from everybody's mouths in that hide, but what struck me most was the fact that she was wearing a face mask. And, believe me, her breath was billowing out. Not from gaps in the side of her mask, nor from the top or bottom, but straight through the centre of it. Even I was surprised. The mask was preventing nothing getting through, certainly not tiny covid particles, had she been affected by it. I wish I'd had something on me to film it.

You've heard all the more crude analogies such as you can still smell a fart if you're wearing a facemask; or the nicer ones, such as you can still smell perfume through a mask, or cigarette smoke. Well, if all these molecules can seep through masks, then so can smaller viruses. As has been said before, facemasks are about as useful as tennis nets against a sand storm.

And don't forget all these so called scientific experiments - not one of them for ethical reasons have been carried out on people - they've all been carried out in lab conditions and are in no way realistic representations of what happens when people wear masks. Even scientists have admitted they can't do 'proper' tests on people.

As an aside, I'm not anti-vacc, a Trump supporter, a murderer, selfish or stupid, all of which accusations have been levelled at me. I'm just stubbornly sticking to what I believe. And I believe facemasks have just been used as a political tool - it makes governments look like they're doing something. Facemasks are the one visible 'thing' they have to turn to.

Do you go ranting at people for not getting tested, or for not being vaccinated? No, of course you don't - because you don't know whether or not they have been tested or vaccinated - their status is not visible. Facemasks have taken on this huge importance in people's minds because they give the appearance of being safe, but they are no more safe than a paper tissue.

I'd love a scientist to be able to explain to me what I witnessed on that morning in the bird hide. Any scientists out there willing to try?

Boris is on the tv at 5pm today.

LilacChaser

That's made my day! I'm delighted and relieved.

At last, some sense from the government. Roll on 26th Jan.

Good news for whom? It will condemn many to have to remain at home, not go into public places or shops, or work, or public transport. Because they are vulnerable, in one way or another.

What an absolutely selfish and cruel comment.

Kali2

Selfish and cruel? Don't be so dramatic. Facemasks don't work and it's actually selfish and cruel to try to fool people into believing that they do.

Sense from the government?? That would be unlikely

Facemasks drastically reduce transmission

varian no, they don't

Could we have your scientific credentials LilacChaser, please.

No drama from me. I have many friends and family who are immuno-suppressed, have COPD or other lung conditions, who are in the middle of aggressive treatment, and other medical conditions- who, when mask wearing stops and other restrictions- will be condemned to remain in their own home.

So, yes, selfish and cruel- I stick to this.

I never understand folk who say masks do nothing. Why are surgeons in operating theatres wearing them for hours on end then?

I wear a face shield which you pop on your face like a pair of glasses - are they useless?

Ruddy good point Pepper59.

LilacChaser

varian no, they don't

Why do surgeons wear them then? And have for many, many years.

LilacChaser as others have asked why do medical staff wear masks?
Your argument about the bird watcher doesn't hold water as it's true some people don't wear good enough masks which will let their breath through.

Pepper59

I never understand folk who say masks do nothing. Why are surgeons in operating theatres wearing them for hours on end then?

Sorry crossed post!