UK face coverings discussion

[adc82140]

Back to the masks- I've just been outside wearing mine. I consider by my work background to be a "professional mask wearer". I felt like I was suffocating. It's fine for me to wear one all day inside the air conditioned confines of the hospital, but I couldn't handle this for more than a minute or two.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Yes I'm scared of any virus that can kill me.

Fear controls a person to think/act in irrational ways.

A virus is unlikely to kill anyone who is in good health and has an optimum immune system

If you are immunocompromised or have some underlying health condition, then I would understand

 

[jtuk]

I'm happy to follow Government advice and obey my parents wishes.

The trouble is that government advice is still based on data from February where Covid was thought to be dangerous on account of low prevalence of asymptomatic cases, lack of any existing protection, and that this spreads extremely easily. The third one is debatable, but if it is, in combination with the February position on points one and two being demonstrably false, then we're in an extremely good position to return completely back to normal. Trouble is the Government is not acting on new data for fear it'll demonstrate they've killed the economy and killed thousands via anything other than Covid for no reason.

If you want to be risk averse to the point where you probably shouldn't cross the road, that's your choice, but don't suggest the whole world should stop as well as you

 

[Islineclear3_1]

You're welcome. We're all waiting for the Government to come up with a plan and getting somewhat fed up with it.

Why wait?

Much of what the government comes up with is nonsense. Do what you think is right

 

[Richard Scott]

Of course, other health professionals (including GPs) might find that it's the thick ones that are the most arrogant about measures to protect others, maybe because they just don't get it, or because they are just selfish.
That's just another opinion here, like yours, without evidence.

I'm definitely not thick but I don't agree with all the measures.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Back to the masks- I've just been outside wearing mine. I consider by my work background to be a "professional mask wearer". I felt like I was suffocating. It's fine for me to wear one all day inside the air conditioned confines of the hospital, but I couldn't handle this for more than a minute or two.

Lucky your hospital is air-conditioned - not all of them are!

 

[Richard Scott]

Why wait?

Much of what the government comes up with is nonsense. Do what you think is right

I wish I could, work would be normal and I'd be allowed to travel where I want without quarantine upon return.

 

[Ken H]

While that sort of behaviour is certainly completely unacceptable, it's also not really on for shop staff to be asking about masks - it's not their job to enforce it.

I dont believe shop staff should even ask. If people feel they are exempt and dont wear a mask its not shopkeepers job to enforce the law.
But going off on one is just not on.

 

[bramling]

Fear of catching the virus, and the sense of isolation, loss of exercise, and other issues, due to people staying at home and/or living in fear, could actually be far more harmful for many people than the effects of actually catching the virus.

Yes it's absolutely turning out that way. I forget the figure but it's already being suggested that lockdown has been responsible for something between 10,000 and 20,000 excess non-Covid-related deaths, and no doubt we are going to see more of that as time goes on when it emerges that people haven't sought medical attention for things like cancers where early diagnosis / treatment is important. Likewise I bet there's a fair few alcohol addictions started over the spring.

I was very happy to support the notion of a short lockdown (i.e. a few weeks) whilst we got the house in order and especially to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed, but we certainly shouldn't now be in a position where there's this constant threat being peddled by certain quarters that we're just one step away from "full and complete lockdown".

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I dont believe shop staff should even ask. If people feel they are exempt and dont wear a mask its not shopkeepers job to enforce the law.
But going off on one is just not on.

If shop staff/[insert profession here] want customers to wear masks then they need to set good example and wear them as well.

Shopkeepers asking customers can lead to unpleasant comflicts

 

[bramling]

I'm happy to follow Government advice and obey my parents wishes.

The government are hardly role models on all this.

A gentle reminder that at one point we had the prime minister, health secretary, chief medical officer, prime minister's chief adviser and the heir to the throne all struck down with this, one of whom in intensive care, whilst meanwhile they've presided over a lamentable mess with care homes which itself seems to have been a knee-jerk reaction clearing out the NHS when perhaps they didn't really need to in the way they did.

By all means form your own judgements on what you think the right strategy for yourself is, but you can forgive me if I take responsibility for my own actions given the above track record.

 

[Ken H]

If shop staff/[insert profession here] want customers to wear masks then they need to set good example and wear them as well.

Shopkeepers asking customers can lead to unpleasant comflicts

Its one thing wearing a mask as a customer for 20 minutes in a supermarket. quite another to wear one for an 8 hr shift.
I have a nurse friend and she says wearing in a mask for a shift is really bad.

 

[trebor79]

Yes it's absolutely turning out that way. I forget the figure but it's already being suggested that lockdown has been responsible for something between 10,000 and 20,000 excess non-Covid-related deaths, and no doubt we are going to see more of that as time goes on when it emerges that people haven't sought medical attention for things like cancers where early diagnosis / treatment is important. Likewise I bet there's a fair few alcohol addictions started over the spring.

Yep, my brother in law has just decided he's not coming to Cornwall with us. Seemingly put off by the endless TV reports of crowded beaches and doom-laden prophesies of death and disease which follows such terrible behaviour as enjoying a day on the beach.
He's mid 40s but apparently very worried about getting ill.
Que mother in law deciding likewise in short order and one disappointed 6 year old who's been looking forward to spending time with uncle and grandma.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Its one thing wearing a mask as a customer for 20 minutes in a supermarket. quite another to wear one for an 8 hr shift.
I have a nurse friend and she says wearing in a mask for a shift is really bad.

Indeed - which is why I don't agree with mask wearing outside of a tightly controlled medical environment

Either everyone wears masks - or nobody

Unless one is vulnerable/immunocompromised etc...

 

[VauxhallandI]

If shop staff/[insert profession here] want customers to wear masks then they need to set good example and wear them as well.

Shopkeepers asking customers can lead to unpleasant comflicts

Absolutely, someone with an illogical exemption asking someone who may have a logical exemption to wear a mask whilst they don’t.

It’s a farce.

 

[packermac]

The issue here is highlighted, those in power try to shape the law to their own advantage when it's not their place to do so, I've heard a couple of accounts of this happening across the country, hopefully just a minority but still not acceptable.

Having read the original post and knowing the Welsh Government were far more stringent than most I had a look at their rules.
I am not sure the security guys were wrong, this is just an extract below but also suggests food and drink should only be consumed on long journeys and asthma suffers do not always need to remove masks on short journeys.

How can I show that I am not required to wear a face covering?
Whether somebody has a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering will not always be obvious. Disabilities and impairments are not always visible to others and respect and understanding should be shown to those who have good reasons not to wear face coverings.
We advise passengers to carry information if possible which demonstrates why they have a reasonable excuse (for example a prescription or evidence such as a hospital appointment letter relating to a medical condition). A number of transport operators are also suggesting that those who have a reasonable excuse carry cards that can be downloaded from their websites and printed.

https://gov.wales/requirement-wear-face-covering-public-transport-wales

 

[DB]

Having read the original post and knowing the Welsh Government were far more stringent than most I had a look at their rules.
I am not sure the security guys were wrong, this is just an extract below but also suggests food and drink should only be consumed on long journeys and asthma suffers do not always need to remove masks on short journeys.

https://gov.wales/requirement-wear-face-covering-public-transport-wales

So they are suggesting that people should show a medical letter to any security goon who asks for it? That's really not acceptable.

 

[Ken H]

So they are suggesting that people should show a medical letter to any security goon who asks for it? That's really not acceptable.

I have hear people say this is nearly as bad as a yellow arm band with a star on it. While that is extreme, it is extremely divisive. I certainly dont want to discuss my medical history with a guard on a train.
So does an asthma inhaler mean you are exempt? who makes that judgement?

 

[adc82140]

So they are suggesting that people should show a medical letter to any security goon who asks for it? That's really not acceptable.

Someone with deep pockets and a lot of time (ie not me) needs to put that statement from the Welsh gov through the courts. I'd love to see them try to argue that medical records are public domain.

 

[Journeyman]

I'll wait for the Government to tell me.

Good luck with that. They haven't set any targets.

 

[Scrotnig]

no doubt we are going to see more of that as time goes on when it emerges that people haven't sought medical attention for things like cancers where early diagnosis / treatment is important.

Even when people do go, more often than not they are told to go away because cancer isn't considered important at the moment.

And that's before you look at the people already on cancer treatment, who had their treatment stopped because the virus was more important.

Almost six months later and this situation isn't improving.

450 people a day die from cancer in normal times. It seems nobody cares about this any more.

 

[Yew]

Even when people do go, more often than not they are told to go away because cancer isn't considered important at the moment.

And that's before you look at the people already on cancer treatment, who had their treatment stopped because the virus was more important.

Almost six months later and this situation isn't improving.

450 people a day from cancer in normal times. It seems nobody cares about this any more.

How dare these cancer patients be so SELFISH, don't they know the NHS is OVERWHELMED due to the PANDEMIC.


In other news, the Hopsital near my parents has said that they have exactly Zero covid patients now.

 

[jtuk]

How dare these cancer patients be so SELFISH, don't they know the NHS is OVERWHELMED due to the PANDEMIC.


In other news, the Hopsital near my parents has said that they have exactly Zero covid patients now.

Don't say that, they'll send a testing hit squad to where you live to find some

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

In other news, the Hopsital near my parents has said that they have exactly Zero covid patients now.

That will change when we get the second wave because people aren't wearing masks though!! </sarcasm>

 

[DB]

That will change when we get the second wave because people aren't wearing masks though!! </sarcasm>

And don't forget that it'll be a lot worse than the first wave, and will coincide with a massive flu epidemic as well...

 

[Bletchleyite]

That will change when we get the second wave because people aren't wearing masks though!! </sarcasm>

One thing of note (and I can't see for today as they appear to have stuffed it up, given up and gone home, so no figures until tomorrow) is that while cases are increasing the severity of them clearly isn't - deaths and hospital admissions continue downwards. If this is the case, it's quite possible masks are lessening the viral load leading to less severe cases, though to be fair there are other possible explanations too.

 

[DB]

One thing of note (and I can't see for today as they appear to have stuffed it up, given up and gone home, so no figures until tomorrow) is that while cases are increasing the severity of them clearly isn't - deaths and hospital admissions continue downwards. If this is the case, it's quite possible masks are lessening the viral load leading to less severe cases, though to be fair there are other possible explanations too.

The age profile would be a good guide - it's it mostly younger people then that would explain low hospital admissions.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

One thing of note (and I can't see for today as they appear to have stuffed it up, given up and gone home, so no figures until tomorrow) is that while cases are increasing the severity of them clearly isn't - deaths and hospital admissions continue downwards. If this is the case, it's quite possible masks are lessening the viral load leading to less severe cases, though to be fair there are other possible explanations too.

Indeed I've noticed that too. Although, I'm sure I read today that the majority of Scottish cases recorded today were Under 25s, who on average have more mild symptoms, so that could also be an explanation.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The age profile would be a good guide - it's it mostly younger people then that would explain low hospital admissions.

Indeed, and I have heard suggestions that a lot of it is younger people. There's also the possibility that the virus is mutating to become less severe, as viruses tend to do. (They don't exist to kill us, they exist to procreate - if they can do this more effectively by not killing the host, then that form of the virus will be more successful).

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Although we're straying slightly off-topic here, I find this website quite useful: https://www.travellingtabby.com/scotland-coronavirus-tracker/

There's a UK version here: https://www.travellingtabby.com/uk-coronavirus-tracker/