Why are so many people not wearing face masks?

SELR_addicks

Addickted said:

SELR_addicks said:

Does suprise me about the sheer number of middle aged + older men that seem to have a weird underlying health condition that stops them wearing a mask. 

I call it selfishness (for the 99%). 

I'm amazed you have the time to post on here as a fully qualified and experienced medical professional, working in several specialist fields, who has managed to not only identify all those who can be exempt but record their gender and age.

If you haven't seen the same I'd call you a liar. 

StigThundercock

I ain’t been inside many shops Or offices at all since April. Local to me face mask wearing by customers pretty much 100% by staff hardly at all which seems odd
Choosing not to wear a mask on public transport is 2% existing health condition 1% genuinely forgot/dropped it 97% hopeless arrogant stupidity Same as wearing a big sign I Am A Hateful Scumbag And Should Be Vilified And Sworn At
sadly emblematic of today’s obsession with entitlement and self instilled in indulged fools who were never told No nor ever paid the consequence of any action 
If these witless hollow turds are whittled out of the gene pool by the virus we’ll be far better off Sadly their craven moronic self obsession will cross infect responsible valid people too 
Non compliance with these simple painless measures has to be called out for the scummery it is. Moron defiants need to be made pariahs like drunk drivers and litter bugs 

RodneyCharltonTrotta

ShootersHillGuru said:

SouthWest_Addicks said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

Heard on the radio that nationally there have been six prosecutions for non compliance with mask wearing. Just like everything else that’s come out of government the will to enforce the rules has be absent. Just my view here but my solution would be to inform shops that where customers were observed not complying then the shop would be ordered to close. This virus is going to be with us for probably years and selfish idiots are going to prolong the outbreak and WILL cost lives. 

Won’t the outbreak stop when a vaccine has been found? 

There will be Covid circulating in some circles probably forever. Not everyone on the planet will be vaccinated. There is now verified evidence from Hong Kong of a previously Covid infected patient being reinfected. There is more than one strain of the virus already. A vaccine would be tremendous but there are far too many people pinning their hopes on a vaccine making them permanently safe from infection and too many thinking that a vaccine is inevitable. My estimate is that > 80% of the population think this is over. It very much isn’t. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-reinfected-hong-kong-covid-19-study-a9685571.html

That's quite depressing when you initially read the headline but then when looking at the detail is it not similar in real term effects on the individual in question as the flu or even common cold?

"According to the study, the patient was a 33-year-old man who was in good health. When he was first infected, he suffered a cough, sore throat, fever and headache for three days. He had a test that confirmed Covid-19 and he was hospitalised on 29 March.  [He was hospitalised but only had mild symptoms like a minor cold that most of us will get each winter for a week or two- possibly HK taking precautions due to the tragedies suffered via SARS?]

He was discharged on 14 April after two negative swab tests.

Four months later, he was returning to Hong Kong from Spain via the UK when he tested positive during entry screening at Hong Kong airport on 15 August. He was hospitalised again but had no symptoms throughout."

Am I being overly optimistic but essentially he was hospitalised as a precautionary measure (HK taking Covid uber seriously in light of what was suffered under SARS) but he wouldn't have even known he had it bar the testing?


I wonder if many of us contract the flu each year and are asymptomatic?  I've had it (flu) twice in the past 5 years and slept in the same bed as my wife who didn't show symptoms. 

Bow to your knowledge of course @shootersh@ShootersHillGuru

Todds_right_hook

IAgree said:

There are a mixture of factors I think.

Public health messages need to be clear and consistent to be fully effective & for a multitude of reasons this hasn’t happened re wearing masks. In addition, no public health strategy will ever be entirely successful.

People have become fatigued by Covid, some have now concluded that the risk is small, some have bought into an array of online conspiracies and some are just plain daft. Anyone in the last three categories are significantly mistaken in my opinion.

I have found myself getting irritated with people not wearing masks, however my youngest daughter (12) has reminded me that disability isn’t always visible and my wife (a Nurse Researcher currently working at one of the Covid Recovery research sites) has pointed out that 100% compliance is neither required, or expected & that if the majority wear a mask then the approach will succeed - both of which make me feel better (and a bit more relaxed when shopping!).

The bottom line re this virus hasn’t & won’t go away, will spread at a R0 of 3 - 5 unfettered and will kill people unless social distancing & other measures are maintained. The possibility of a second spike is real (France) and if that happens sooner, or later, the death rate will increase. Indeed the only reason we don’t have a significantly higher death rate already is that multiple millions of people have shielded, or isolated, in the most extreme manner, for several months and we have all been through lockdown. Plus research & experience has improved how Covid is treated.

So I’m wearing a mask!

But death rates aren’t increasing in Spain, America, France where the number of cases are or have risen.

agree with everything else and the comment regarding most need to wear face masks and not all is good to hear. I’ll try and get less angry at the non mask wearers when I’m next in Sainsbury’s 

ME14addick

I went to Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre this morning for the first time since early March and was impressed with the measures they have in place. There is a one way system, which almost everyone was observing.

I saw only 5 people without masks, an elderly couple one of whom had a lanyard, which I presume was to show his exemption. It was pretty obvious the other three were of the 'do as you likey' ilk. 

Valleysarr

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

ME14addick

Valleysarr said:

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

No it isn't fine, unless you cannot wear a mask for medical reasons. Masks may be horrible but getting Covid-19 is even more horrible. 

ShootersHillGuru

Valleysarr said:

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

Perhaps everyone is nipping somewhere. Why not do as you have been advised by scientists and just wear a mask. It’s not hard to understand is it.

Stig

Valleysarr said:

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

I think if you nip in somewhere and others are wearing masks it's all right taking a shit on the floor. No one will mind me spreading my filth about if they've got their horrible masks on.

Valleysarr

Stig said

Valleysarr said:

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

I think if you nip in somewhere and others are wearing masks it's all right taking a shit on the floor. No one will mind me spreading my filth about if they've got their horrible masks on.

I was joking... 

Stig

Valleysarr said:

Stig said

Valleysarr said:

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

I think if you nip in somewhere and others are wearing masks it's all right taking a shit on the floor. No one will mind me spreading my filth about if they've got their horrible masks on.

I was joking... 

Glad to hear it.  So was I... or was I

Covered End

Valleysarr said:

I think if you nip in somewhere and others wearing a mask it’s fine not to wear a horrible mask. 

It just shows how selfish that person is.
The person without the mask may have the virus without knowing and have infected someone else.
The newly infected person may infect someone vulnearble and that person may die.
It would be ok if only the selfish people die, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that, as surely everyone knows.

YTS1978

I've been due an operation on my nose for about a year now. First went to the GP abt 2yrs ago with my complaint, but still waiting #thankyounhs

I travel about a fair bit to see my kids, and have been using public transport a lot, even during lockdown.

I physically cant wear a mask, because I cant breathe properly, so get a lot of funny looks from people who dont know the problem i have. Have downloaded an exemption badge from Gov.co.uk but it appears that you do not have to prove you are exempt to anyone who challenges you, its just a piece of mind thing. So not quite sure how the wearing of masks can be enforced?

Edit. I will add that I carry a mask just in case and have used it for very short tube journeys, where social distancing has been impossible. It's an unpleasant experience though 

ShootersHillGuru

YTS1978 said:

I've been due an operation on my nose for about a year now. First went to the GP abt 2yrs ago with my complaint, but still waiting #thankyounhs

I travel about a fair bit to see my kids, and have been using public transport a lot, even during lockdown.

I physically cant wear a mask, because I cant breathe properly, so get a lot of funny looks from people who dont know the problem i have. Have downloaded an exemption badge from Gov.co.uk but it appears that you do not have to prove you are exempt to anyone who challenges you, its just a piece of mind thing. So not quite sure how the wearing of masks can be enforced?

You are perfectly entitled not to wear a mask if it causes you difficulties. You are not the problem. 

Strange comment in blaming the nhs for the delay in your surgery though. I suggest you look at why it been a long wait. Certainly the last seven months it’s obvious but any delay outside of that will be down to lack of capacity. That’s a government funding issue not the fault of the NHS.

YTS1978

ShootersHillGuru said:

YTS1978 said:

I've been due an operation on my nose for about a year now. First went to the GP abt 2yrs ago with my complaint, but still waiting #thankyounhs

I travel about a fair bit to see my kids, and have been using public transport a lot, even during lockdown.

I physically cant wear a mask, because I cant breathe properly, so get a lot of funny looks from people who dont know the problem i have. Have downloaded an exemption badge from Gov.co.uk but it appears that you do not have to prove you are exempt to anyone who challenges you, its just a piece of mind thing. So not quite sure how the wearing of masks can be enforced?

You are perfectly entitled not to wear a mask if it causes you difficulties. You are not the problem. 

Strange comment in blaming the nhs for the delay in your surgery though. I suggest you look at why it been a long wait. Certainly the last seven months it’s obvious but any delay outside of that will be down to lack of capacity. That’s a government funding issue not the fault of the NHS.

Indeed, just trying to point out that not everyone without a mask is being selfish or reckless with their or other people's health. So sometimes people need to think before giving people dirty looks on public transport! It's not just OAP's, but youngsters like myself too :-)

Re the NHS, they have been nothing short of dismal with my treatment and I wont try and pretend otherwise. Constant cancellations, waiting months for appointments, prescribing incorrect medicines, losing medical records, arrogant 'one afternoon a week' consultants who never read my notes and at one point they even booked me in for a breast surgery consultation rather than ENT! Absolutely awful and still waiting. Clearly there is a funding issue, but the lack of care and competence is a worry!

ShootersHillGuru

YTS1978 said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

YTS1978 said:

I've been due an operation on my nose for about a year now. First went to the GP abt 2yrs ago with my complaint, but still waiting #thankyounhs

I travel about a fair bit to see my kids, and have been using public transport a lot, even during lockdown.

I physically cant wear a mask, because I cant breathe properly, so get a lot of funny looks from people who dont know the problem i have. Have downloaded an exemption badge from Gov.co.uk but it appears that you do not have to prove you are exempt to anyone who challenges you, its just a piece of mind thing. So not quite sure how the wearing of masks can be enforced?

You are perfectly entitled not to wear a mask if it causes you difficulties. You are not the problem. 

Strange comment in blaming the nhs for the delay in your surgery though. I suggest you look at why it been a long wait. Certainly the last seven months it’s obvious but any delay outside of that will be down to lack of capacity. That’s a government funding issue not the fault of the NHS.

Indeed, just trying to point out that not everyone without a mask is being selfish or reckless with their or other people's health. So sometimes people need to think before giving people dirty looks on public transport! It's not just OAP's, but youngsters like myself too :-)

Re the NHS, they have been nothing short of dismal with my treatment and I wont try and pretend otherwise. Constant cancellations, waiting months for appointments, prescribing incorrect medicines, losing medical records, arrogant 'one afternoon a week' consultants who never read my notes and at one point they even booked me in for a breast surgery consultation rather than ENT! Absolutely awful and still waiting. Clearly there is a funding issue, but the lack of care and competence is a worry!

Sounds unacceptable to be honest. You need to complain. Change is driven by people complaining. 

YTS1978

@ShootersHillGuru I have, but falls on deaf ears. I now have my new GP chasing for me, so fingers crossed mate

AFKABartram

@YTS1978 dont think I’m being chippy as that’s not the intention, but can you explain how a small thin piece of cloth impacts on your breathing? 

As it’s not an actual barrier (unlike a nose peg or something shoved up your nostril), part of me thinks it’s more psychological than physical when I hear the argument from those saying they can’t breath with it on.  So I’m open to being educated on this

siblers

I'm waiting on sinus surgery, I get about 10%air through each nostril but a lot of times it's less, in fact If I close my mouth I feel like I'm suffocating as I've such little air going through my nose but I have no trouble with a mask, I can breath fine through my mouth.

 It it's very annoying seeing people without any breathing issues with a mask on but not covering their nose or no mask on at all, it's incredibly selfish


For the people who say they can't breathe with a mask, I'm curious to know why they can't. Not saying they can't, just wondering what prevents them from wearing a mask

IAgree

Todds_right_hook said:

IAgree said:

There are a mixture of factors I think.

Public health messages need to be clear and consistent to be fully effective & for a multitude of reasons this hasn’t happened re wearing masks. In addition, no public health strategy will ever be entirely successful.

People have become fatigued by Covid, some have now concluded that the risk is small, some have bought into an array of online conspiracies and some are just plain daft. Anyone in the last three categories are significantly mistaken in my opinion.

I have found myself getting irritated with people not wearing masks, however my youngest daughter (12) has reminded me that disability isn’t always visible and my wife (a Nurse Researcher currently working at one of the Covid Recovery research sites) has pointed out that 100% compliance is neither required, or expected & that if the majority wear a mask then the approach will succeed - both of which make me feel better (and a bit more relaxed when shopping!).

The bottom line re this virus hasn’t & won’t go away, will spread at a R0 of 3 - 5 unfettered and will kill people unless social distancing & other measures are maintained. The possibility of a second spike is real (France) and if that happens sooner, or later, the death rate will increase. Indeed the only reason we don’t have a significantly higher death rate already is that multiple millions of people have shielded, or isolated, in the most extreme manner, for several months and we have all been through lockdown. Plus research & experience has improved how Covid is treated.

So I’m wearing a mask!

But death rates aren’t increasing in Spain, America, France where the number of cases are or have risen.

agree with everything else and the comment regarding most need to wear face masks and not all is good to hear. I’ll try and get less angry at the non mask wearers when I’m next in Sainsbury’s 

I think that this is mainly because the growth in cases is currently amongst young people, however those who shielded and isolated because of age are no less vulnerable than before and sooner of later, were there a full on second spike, there would probably be a rise in cases in these groups with a corresponding increase in deaths. Unless of course they shield again. 

No doubt social distancing, masks and altered patterns of behaviour have played a part as well & everyone I know who is vulnerable are being very careful indeed.

Covered End

YTS1978 said:

I've been due an operation on my nose for about a year now. First went to the GP abt 2yrs ago with my complaint, but still waiting #thankyounhs

I travel about a fair bit to see my kids, and have been using public transport a lot, even during lockdown.

I physically cant wear a mask, because I cant breathe properly, so get a lot of funny looks from people who dont know the problem i have. Have downloaded an exemption badge from Gov.co.uk but it appears that you do not have to prove you are exempt to anyone who challenges you, its just a piece of mind thing. So not quite sure how the wearing of masks can be enforced?

Edit. I will add that I carry a mask just in case and have used it for very short tube journeys, where social distancing has been impossible. It's an unpleasant experience though 

YTS you have a genuine issue and are not the problem.
I sympathise, my nose is permanently semi blocked and I had an operation on it about 25 years ago.
It was improved for a few months and then returned to normal.
I've not bothered since.
So I rarely go anywhere where I need to wear a mask because I can't breathe very well and additionally I can't see very well either as my glasses steam up.
I hate masks but I will wear it where necessary. 

Crusty54

Covered End said:

EastTerrace said:

I wear a mask but as soon as I’m out of the shop it’s off.
Oppressive, horrible things.

Ditto, I can't breathe very well with a mask on as I have a nasal issue (that was operated on before and never resolved it so can't be bothered to try again).
Plus my glasses steam up, so I can't see or breathe well at all.
But I do wear a mask where required to.

Washable masks with a filtered valve are available which mean that glasses don't get steamed up.

It's just a question of finding the type that fits you best.

It has been proved that wearing a mask does not reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood.

killerandflash

colthe3rd said:

Todds_right_hook said:

colthe3rd said:

killerandflash said:

colthe3rd said:

I think there is a sort of hyperbole with this whole thing, the vast majority of people are wearing masks wherever they need to be. I think it's just more noticeable when someone isn't so we build it up more in our heads about the true numbers who aren't.

Of those who don't wear one, I'm sure there are a number that don't due to health reasons and for the rest? I'd honestly like to ask some people, it could be they've spent too much time on Facebook and some of the nonsense being shared on there or maybe they just have an issue with authority. I've recently moved from a less wealthy area to one that is definitely more gentrified and the numbers wearing masks here in shops and on transport is definitely higher. Maybe it's part of the authority issue thing but it is definitely an interesting social study that I'd like to read about if any are done in the future.   

Sadly it's not true. Was in an ASDA this afternoon and barely 50% of customers were wearing masks. Was quite disappointed actually

Counted every single one of them did you? 

Unnecessary 

Not at all, when someone tells me I'm lying about something but only backs it up with some made up percentage. Absolutely necessary. 

Not sure why you're taking my comment so personally. I never said you were lying, all I was talking about was MY personal experience, that in the supermarket I'd been in on Friday afternoon, barely 50% of customers were wearing masks. It was ASDA in Colindale incidentally, a relatively poor area

And what do you mean by "made up" percentage anyway? Obviously I don't have the exact percentage, it might have been 40%, it might have been 60%, but it was approximately 50%, and certainly not the 95% you'd expect if you allow for 5% with genuine medical reasons for not wearing masks

YTS1978

AFKABartram said:

@YTS1978 dont think I’m being chippy as that’s not the intention, but can you explain how a small thin piece of cloth impacts on your breathing? 

As it’s not an actual barrier (unlike a nose peg or something shoved up your nostril), part of me thinks it’s more psychological than physical when I hear the argument from those saying they can’t breath with it on.  So I’m open to being educated on this

I don't think you're being chippy mate, so no problem. One of my nostrils is completely shut, and I'm due to have a septoplasty to solve the problem. I have issues breathing normally on a day to day, especially during summer as I suffer from hayfever too, so my one useful nostril is often blocked or in turmoil! Am always ill in the morning due to the build up of crap on my lungs and suffer from sleep apnea. Not comfortable. Some of it may be psychological, as I'm petrified of not being able to breath properly, due to the illness I've had over the past 2yrs. It may be just a little piece of cloth to most people  but its honestly a big barrier for some others.

AFKABartram

Hope you manage to finally get it sorted soon mate 

Covered End

YTS1978 said:

AFKABartram said:

@YTS1978 dont think I’m being chippy as that’s not the intention, but can you explain how a small thin piece of cloth impacts on your breathing? 

As it’s not an actual barrier (unlike a nose peg or something shoved up your nostril), part of me thinks it’s more psychological than physical when I hear the argument from those saying they can’t breath with it on.  So I’m open to being educated on this

I don't think you're being chippy mate, so no problem. One of my nostrils is completely shut, and I'm due to have a septoplasty to solve the problem. I have issues breathing normally on a day to day, especially during summer as I suffer from hayfever too, so my one useful nostril is often blocked or in turmoil! Am always ill in the morning due to the build up of crap on my lungs and suffer from sleep apnea. Not comfortable. Some of it may be psychological, as I'm petrified of not being able to breath properly, due to the illness I've had over the past 2yrs. It may be just a little piece of cloth to most people  but its honestly a big barrier for some others.

You sound exactly like me but worse.

ross1

ross1 said:

If you think this country is bad, I have just looked at pictures from Matalan in USA, (worth a look), where people wear all sorts of face coverings, including one with a piece of toilet paper over his mouth, some men with underpants over their face and women with knickers over their face. It is a shame one man did not bother to wash his pants before putting over his head, say no more 

Sorry I meant Walmart

YTS1978

AFKABartram said:

Hope you manage to finally get it sorted soon mate 

Me too haha!

YTS1978

Covered End said:

YTS1978 said:

AFKABartram said:

@YTS1978 dont think I’m being chippy as that’s not the intention, but can you explain how a small thin piece of cloth impacts on your breathing? 

As it’s not an actual barrier (unlike a nose peg or something shoved up your nostril), part of me thinks it’s more psychological than physical when I hear the argument from those saying they can’t breath with it on.  So I’m open to being educated on this

I don't think you're being chippy mate, so no problem. One of my nostrils is completely shut, and I'm due to have a septoplasty to solve the problem. I have issues breathing normally on a day to day, especially during summer as I suffer from hayfever too, so my one useful nostril is often blocked or in turmoil! Am always ill in the morning due to the build up of crap on my lungs and suffer from sleep apnea. Not comfortable. Some of it may be psychological, as I'm petrified of not being able to breath properly, due to the illness I've had over the past 2yrs. It may be just a little piece of cloth to most people  but its honestly a big barrier for some others.

You sound exactly like me but worse.

It's a nightmare. I honestly dont think there's anything worse than the feeling of not being able to breath. It can cause panic, which obviously makes things a lot worse. Hopefully I'll get it sorted out soon

The_Organiser

Yet again Maidstone Tesco, which is a fairly big store, was 100% compliance of the people I saw Sat, as per the previous Sat. Good to see.