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Post by zahidf on Jan 19, 2022 15:27:08 GMT
Well, you're a member of the public as well. If a majority of the public don't want to wear masks voluntarily, you can shout at them about it but its not going to change much I also disagree about the public being selfish over the last 2 years, just because a majority aren't doing what YOU want them to do Where do you get the idea that the 'majority' of the public don't want to wear masks? I can't find anything that suggests this Well, whats the mask wearing coverage when it isnt mandatory? If the majority of public want to wear masks, they'd be doing so |
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Post by Dan213 on Jan 19, 2022 15:39:11 GMT
Where do you get the idea that the 'majority' of the public don't want to wear masks? I can't find anything that suggests this Well, whats the mask wearing coverage when it isnt mandatory? If the majority of public want to wear masks, they'd be doing so     They are at the moment unless I have a wild imagination. You're aware a majority means >50% right |
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Post by zahidf on Jan 19, 2022 15:40:27 GMT
Well, whats the mask wearing coverage when it isnt mandatory? If the majority of public want to wear masks, they'd be doing so They are at the moment unless I have a wild imagination Well... yes, because its mandatory. If the public wanted to wear masks, theyd do so without the rules being in place |
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Post by Dan213 on Jan 19, 2022 15:43:58 GMT
They are at the moment unless I have a wild imagination Well... yes, because its mandatory. If the public wanted to wear masks, theyd do so without the rules being in place     Presume you're comparing this to pre-pandemic right? If so, that's a slightly odd comparison to make 🤔 |
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Post by zahidf on Jan 19, 2022 15:46:30 GMT
Well... yes, because its mandatory. If the public wanted to wear masks, theyd do so without the rules being in place Presume you're comparing this to pre-pandemic right? If so, that's a slightly odd comparison to make 🤔 Well no... last year before Plan B was in place ( July 19th onwards). Mask uptake was considerably down from when it was mandatory. My point is that a majority of people wont be wearing masks post next Wednesday IMO |
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Post by vickyg on Jan 19, 2022 16:10:31 GMT
Who was it that posted about how wonderful it had been to travel through Austria, where everyone willingly wore not just masks, but the high-grade masks mandated by the government? A month later Austria went into lockdown, followed by Germany and France. 🤔 And interestingly their steep rise in cases and fast introduction of lockdown came fairly soon after 8 out of 9 federal regions removed mandatory mask wearing. I can sort of see what people might have against cloth masks, but when they insist that FFP2 masks (which have always been worn in hospital environments to prevent transmission during aerosol generating procedures, and do that effectively) are useless, I wonder how they can possibly think they are right. |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 19, 2022 16:29:18 GMT
Having just read that compulsory mask wearing is being removed in only a week's time I feel sick & am trying not to cry. Given the number of people who aren't bothering to wear them even at the moment when they are compulsory, I'm very worried what it'll be like when they're not compulsory. The government seem to be acting as though covid has magically vanished even though 108,000 cases have been reported today & half of England's still got a latest reported case rate of over 1000 per 100,000, for goodness sake. It feels as though it's going to be impossible not to catch covid unless you never leave your house again.
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Post by zahidf on Jan 19, 2022 17:50:42 GMT
Having just read that compulsory mask wearing is being removed in only a week's time I feel sick & am trying not to cry. Given the number of people who aren't bothering to wear them even at the moment when they are compulsory, I'm very worried what it'll be like when they're not compulsory. The government seem to be acting as though covid has magically vanished even though 108,000 cases have been reported today & half of England's still got a latest reported case rate of over 1000 per 100,000, for goodness sake. It feels as though it's going to be impossible not to catch covid unless you never leave your house again. I'm sorry you feel so bad about it. I'd probably just avoid the news. I know it's a tough situation but it's good to take care of yourself first. |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jan 19, 2022 18:46:21 GMT
We aren't post covid yet though, we still have about 90k cases a day with less testing being done. Don't get me wrong, numbers are definitely heading in the right direction but to literally go back to no restrictions at all (apart from isolation if positive) is premature as far as I'm concerned. And for Distantcousin's explanation, just because I believe the science that masks help in crowded indoor environments at times when there are high levels of infection around doesn't mean I am a lockdown lover. Or a mask lover for that matter, I bloody hate those things, especially as I wear glasses. But in certain situations I think they are warranted and worth the little bit of inconvenience. I wouldn't be against doing it on crowded public transport. But it should be voluntary, and i dont think its right to have a go at people who dont want to wear it. No one knows anyone's situation and its nobodies business what they believe Of course there is valid reasons for not having a mask. However as my GP and nurse friends say they have never met a colleague who hasn't or can't wear a mask |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2022 18:50:01 GMT
Meanwhile in the US the lunatic fringe has started to worry that horse dewormer is too much like real medicine for their liking so they've decided that the best way to protect themselves from Covid-19 is to drink urine. (I assume it's their own, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone starts selling bottles of Genuine Vax-Free Urine.)
I don't know who starts these ideas, but by this point I think it has to be someone intentionally messing with them.
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 19, 2022 19:04:15 GMT
I know the English are often accused of exceptionalism, but why is there still this belief that soggy pieces of cloth make the slightest difference in this country, when they clearly haven't elsewhere? Perhaps if France eased off on the restrictions, its cases would fall too.
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Post by Dan213 on Jan 19, 2022 20:02:05 GMT
I know the English are often accused of exceptionalism, but why is there still this belief that soggy pieces of cloth make the slightest difference in this country, when they clearly haven't elsewhere? Perhaps if France eased off on the restrictions, its cases would fall too. Here's a peer reviewed paper, published in Nature, one of the most highly respected scientific journals, that looks at the efficacy of different masks: www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-72798-7Whilst the evidence of home made, cloth masks is less conclusive, it still demostrates they are likely to be more effective than not wearing a mask. It's very clear that both surgical masks and the higher grade N95 (FFP2/3) masks are highly effective at reducing droplets and aerosols. In summary, masks are an effective tool in the reduction of transmission in respiratory diseases |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 19, 2022 21:14:44 GMT
I'm sorry you feel so bad about it. I'd probably just avoid the news. I know it's a tough situation but it's good to take care of yourself first. I think it might be even worse if I went down to London on 1st February without knowing why so many people were suddenly not wearing masks! |
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Post by zahidf on Jan 19, 2022 22:19:48 GMT
When vaccines didn't exist, NPIs like mask and distancing were necessary. Now that we have freely available vaccines that give us a huge reduction in severity the need for NPIs has disappeared.
I recognise that lockdowns and other measures were necessary at varying degrees until around May/June 2021. Since then we haven't needed them and we won't need them in the future.
There's no future where we eradicate COVID so why spend GDP to try and do that? Even if cloth masks reduce the spread of respiratory disease, that's something people have to try and get society to adopt through discussion and persuasion.
You can't force people to wear masks or guilt them into it. Calling people selfish for not wearing masks is completely the wrong public health approach
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Post by talkingheads on Jan 19, 2022 23:27:41 GMT
Putting aside whether it's right or wrong for a second, it's an AWFUL way to announce a policy. Schools have had zero notice and no have to manically prepare, teachers now even more unsafe than they were already.
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Post by Jon on Jan 20, 2022 0:02:47 GMT
When vaccines didn't exist, NPIs like mask and distancing were necessary. Now that we have freely available vaccines that give us a huge reduction in severity the need for NPIs has disappeared. I recognise that lockdowns and other measures were necessary at varying degrees until around May/June 2021. Since then we haven't needed them and we won't need them in the future. There's no future where we eradicate COVID so why spend GDP to try and do that? Even if cloth masks reduce the spread of respiratory disease, that's something people have to try and get society to adopt through discussion and persuasion. You can't force people to wear masks or guilt them into it. Calling people selfish for not wearing masks is completely the wrong public health approach Plus even if you do get Covid, there are now treatments for the most vulnerable. |
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Post by zahidf on Jan 20, 2022 0:55:00 GMT
Putting aside whether it's right or wrong for a second, it's an AWFUL way to announce a policy. Schools have had zero notice and no have to manically prepare, teachers now even more unsafe than they were already. Teachers should be triple jabbed by now I wouldnt say they are more at risk than people working at hospitals or supermarket's Also, I find it super weird to make kids wear masks. They are least at risk. |
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Post by fiyerorocher on Jan 20, 2022 1:24:07 GMT
Putting aside whether it's right or wrong for a second, it's an AWFUL way to announce a policy. Schools have had zero notice and no have to manically prepare, teachers now even more unsafe than they were already. Teachers should be triple jabbed by now I wouldnt say they are more at risk than people working at hospitals or supermarket's Also, I find it super weird to make kids wear masks. They are least at risk. Kids are probably the most sensible people to make wear masks. They're least likely to be vaccinated, they cough openly without covering their mouths, and it's hard to get them to social distance. They're germy little nightmares at the best of times :') |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2022 18:05:28 GMT
I think masks in senior schools could have remained in place to half term and in shops and on public transport.
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Post by olliebean on Jan 20, 2022 21:38:24 GMT
It's particularly mystifying why the mask mandate had to be removed a week earlier for schools than for anywhere else, especially with schools being hubs of transmission. It's almost as though the intention is still to go for herd immunity (now thought by science to be impossible with the increased transmissibility of Omicron) by ensuring it spreads as much as possible now that vaccines will protect (most) people from severe illness.
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Post by theatreian on Jan 20, 2022 22:51:32 GMT
I don't understand why the mask mandate went so soon either. I shall continue to wear mine in indoor settings as before for now.
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Post by sfsusan on Jan 21, 2022 0:43:28 GMT
I shall continue to wear mine in indoor settings as before for now. Me too. And I hope that theaters and other indoor venues continue to require proof of vaccination or negative tests as well as masks. Otherwise, I'm back to not attending. |
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Post by Jon on Jan 21, 2022 1:25:37 GMT
Have to admit, the Covid pass doesn't really bother me, it's just like being asked for ID.
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Post by zahidf on Jan 21, 2022 9:18:42 GMT
I was mainly ok with the Covid pass, but looking at France ( with stringent Covid passes and masks) having a crazy amount of cases, and with vaccines not really stopping spread ( whilst still protecting people) i dont really the point in them anymore, other than to coerce people to get themseleves vaccinated. If it doesnt stop the spread, then theres no point to them
I expect smaller theatres to keep masks. The bigger ones will make it a recommendation rather than a requirement
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2022 17:24:47 GMT
They say that vaccines protect people but those they are least likely to protect are the vulnerable and elderly who will thus more likely end up in hospital and in ICU. So I think the masks should stay on public transport. You can argue that people sat in an office aren't told to wear them so why should schools be different but I would have kept them in place until the same time.
Elbow bumping with his tie tucked in, shirt hanging out and not making kids wear masks won't do much for Boris' standing.
If I see one more politician at a vacination centre unless it is a new one opening or they are getting a booster themselves. Even the Royals have stayed away from there more than the PM and them doing a thank you visit occasionally would make more sense.
I'm waiting for a hospital director to refuse to let a politican doing a photoshoot in!
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