Wonderful News - No more face masks

08:52growstuff

Says you who thinks you know it all?

Lucca ^You remind me of the woman who came into my DIL’s shop with no mask last year . When offered a disposable one she announced “oh I don’t do Covid””
“Well then I don’t do serving you, sorry” said my DIL.^

Oh, how smug. My reaction would have been to walk away and never darken her doorstep again, along with the rest of my family. With that attitude, no wonder so many small businesses are closing.

LilacChaser

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

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

sense from the Government? that'll be the day!

your very fortunate if that is all it takes to 'make your day!

It was a work's course, so no money involved for me. And, yes, statistics have shown exactly what I wrote. The facemask 'experiment' on so-called Freedom Day last July is one I particulary hold in mind. Everyone was up in arms about facemasks going and what happened? Covid cases in England dropped. Covid cases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where facemasks were still mandatory increased. Nuff said. If you can't see that, then perhaps you need to go on a course.

July. Schools closed. People spending time outside not huddled inside with the windows closed. Think about it.

Lucca

Urmstongran

On the use of face coverings, Boris said: “In the country at large, we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, particularly when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, but we will trust the judgment of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one.”

*

I shall continue to use my common sense especially till springtime. Use of masks - not so much, but by keeping a safe distance, is more important for me.

How can you keep a safe distance in shop queues? Just as one example.

And why not face masks ?

I didn’t say I’d never worn masks Lucca just that I’m judicial in their use. Certainly not in the fresh air, nor when in our car (I’ve seen single occupiers driving their car wearing a mask - what on EARTH is that all about? Always ‘oldies’. Beggars belief.)

As for shopping, we live above Sainsbury’s where masks are still routine, well until next Wednesday & we will be home Thursday! But we don’t need to shop at busy times = less people about = less chance of transmission.

As I say, common sense. Some people are panicky, unsettled and immunosuppressive. They can (and will) continue to wear their masks. I understand that. Me? Not so much now.

Seeing the figures soar in Germany and France which have some of the strictest restrictions, mandatory masks, vaccine passports and no jab no entry is food for thought as to whether restrictions do indeed work?

LilacChaser

Varian

Yes, I understand probability and once did a short course in it along with several PhD students.

I'm not relying on anecdotal evidence.

Statistics have shown, quite nicely, that when facemask restrictions are brought in, covid levels go up and vice versa. You only have to compare Wales, Scotland and England to see what I mean.

Statistics can prove anything you want.

GrannyGravy13

Seeing the figures soar in Germany and France which have some of the strictest restrictions, mandatory masks, vaccine passports and no jab no entry is food for thought as to whether restrictions do indeed work?

You don't know what the rates would be like without restrictions.

I was just thinking the same GG13. I read that in France just yesterday, 460,000 cases were reported!

Urmstongran

Lucca

Urmstongran

On the use of face coverings, Boris said: “In the country at large, we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, particularly when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, but we will trust the judgment of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one.”

*

I shall continue to use my common sense especially till springtime. Use of masks - not so much, but by keeping a safe distance, is more important for me.

How can you keep a safe distance in shop queues? Just as one example.

And why not face masks ?

I didn’t say I’d never worn masks Lucca just that I’m judicial in their use. Certainly not in the fresh air, nor when in our car (I’ve seen single occupiers driving their car wearing a mask - what on EARTH is that all about? Always ‘oldies’. Beggars belief.)

As for shopping, we live above Sainsbury’s where masks are still routine, well until next Wednesday & we will be home Thursday! But we don’t need to shop at busy times = less people about = less chance of transmission.

As I say, common sense. Some people are panicky, unsettled and immunosuppressive. They can (and will) continue to wear their masks. I understand that. Me? Not so much now.

You don't have to be "panicky, unsettled and immunosuppressive" - just sensible and aware of putting other people at risk should you be infected but asymptomatic.

Stop gaslighting!

Urmstongran

I was just thinking the same GG13. I read that in France just yesterday, 460,000 cases were reported!

Yet France's daily deaths are still lower than the UK - curious! Does France treat its Covid sufferers better or is the UK not being entirely honest about the number of cases?

GrannyGravy13

Seeing the figures soar in Germany and France which have some of the strictest restrictions, mandatory masks, vaccine passports and no jab no entry is food for thought as to whether restrictions do indeed work?

Tend to agree with you on this one sometimes doing the same things and expecting different results seems a bit futile
Might have more to do with them not rolling out boosters as quick as the uk

LilacChaser

It was a work's course, so no money involved for me. And, yes, statistics have shown exactly what I wrote. The facemask 'experiment' on so-called Freedom Day last July is one I particulary hold in mind. Everyone was up in arms about facemasks going and what happened? Covid cases in England dropped. Covid cases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where facemasks were still mandatory increased. Nuff said. If you can't see that, then perhaps you need to go on a course.

Oh no! I don't need a course. I have a semi-resident scientist (a real one!)

rosie1959

GrannyGravy13

Seeing the figures soar in Germany and France which have some of the strictest restrictions, mandatory masks, vaccine passports and no jab no entry is food for thought as to whether restrictions do indeed work?

Tend to agree with you on this one sometimes doing the same things and expecting different results seems a bit futile
Might have more to do with them not rolling out boosters as quick as the uk

It could also have something to do with the hard core anti-vaxxers, particularly in former East Germany in Saxony.

My partner's DIL's mother died from Covid in Germany just before Christmas. She was triple vaccinated and confined to a home. She caught it from one of the unvaccinated staff.

I'm just wondering has anyone been "criminalised" for not wearing a mask?
I've seen people all over the place without one. Nobody did anything. Which means that claiming masks haven't reduced the transmission rate is an impossible to prove because a lot of the idiots haven't been wearing them anyway.
I'll still wear one in shops and on public transport.

Exactly trisher.

Someone queried how social distancing can be maintained in shop queues.

Interestingly I have found in supermarkets I visit most often (Sainsbury’s and Waitrose) that people are still keeping a bit of space between them and the person in front.

My view is that the PM is right to lift certain restrictions, with the advice that although masks are no longer mandatory, it is still advisable to wear one in crowded places.

There will never be agreement on this topic will there?
There will always be those who would keep restrictions in place month after month, saying ‘the virus is still with us’, which of course is true but as it’s still going to be circulating in the population for possibly years, at what point do we accept we have to learn to live with it?

Maudi

08:52growstuff

Says you who thinks you know it all?

I don't think I know it all, but in this instance you are wrong. Covid is mainly airborne. There is almost no evidence of transmission from hard surfaces, unless somebody has recently coughed or sneezed all over something.

I’ve just scan read this article. The conclusion suggests that there is neither enough evidence to support the use of face masks nor to abandon the use of face masks.

There have not been any recent clinical studies and it’s suggested that it’s a ‘just in case they work’ scenario.

For anyone who’s interested www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480558/

JenniferEccles

Someone queried how social distancing can be maintained in shop queues.

Interestingly I have found in supermarkets I visit most often (Sainsbury’s and Waitrose) that people are still keeping a bit of space between them and the person in front.

My view is that the PM is right to lift certain restrictions, with the advice that although masks are no longer mandatory, it is still advisable to wear one in crowded places.

There will never be agreement on this topic will there?
There will always be those who would keep restrictions in place month after month, saying ‘the virus is still with us’, which of course is true but as it’s still going to be circulating in the population for possibly years, at what point do we accept we have to learn to live with it?

But "learning to live with it" means adapting behaviour, such as wearing masks. It doesn't mean pretending it doesn't exist.

An extract from the above article.

Examination of the literature revealed much of the published work on the matter to be quite dated and often studies had poorly elucidated methodologies. As a result, we recommend caution in extrapolating their findings to contemporary surgical practice. However, overall there is a lack of substantial evidence to support claims that facemasks protect either patient or surgeon from infectious contamination. More rigorous contemporary research is needed to make a definitive comment on the effectiveness of surgical facemasks.

ayse

I’ve just scan read this article. The conclusion suggests that there is neither enough evidence to support the use of face masks nor to abandon the use of face masks.

There have not been any recent clinical studies and it’s suggested that it’s a ‘just in case they work’ scenario.

For anyone who’s interested www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480558/

That was written in 2015!!!

There's plenty of evidence that masks work in reducing transmission of an airborne virus. That article is about bacterial infection, which is completely different.

Of course there can't be a clinical trial. It would be completely unethical to put people in a room with infected people to see how many became infected. Nevertheless, there have been numerous modelling exercises on particles and empirical evidence from (for example) super spreader events.

Petera

LilacChaser

Don't be silly, MayBee70. They don't work and it is socially irresponsible to perpetuate the myth that they in any way make people safer by wearing them.

AGAA4 Most people would like to retain them so this has nothing to do with Boris's popularity.

"Darling, come and see this! I've just found something on the internet that all the scientists have missed'

Love it!