Supermarket today people were wearing masks. Mostly ok but mostly disposable masks, not good for planet. Others were wearing masks with valves. You know those plastic circular things that open up when breathing out but close to stop stuff getting in. Then there's dodgy homemade mask where it fitted the top of the nose very nicely but went almost straight out such that you can see their mouth. Then there's the free nose types and the drop the mask types to hike a conversation or answer a phone or stand in the checkout queue.
There does need to be an education program because people don't all seem to know what they should know about masks I reckon.
There’s no stipulation for it to be a “mask”. Just something that covers the nose and mouth.
Farrina wrote:... masks/gloves IMHO by providing false reassurance seem to encourage risky behaviour. The number of times I have observed people masking/gloving up and cleaning shopping trolley handles only to remove them to answerphone/scratch nose etc ...
Is there any evidence for that effect in this setting beyond anecdote?
As well as collecting my own daily paper from the newsagent, I get one for a former colleague. We both subscribe upfront, but he gets the Yorkshire Post which does not have a Sunday edition, so he has a Sunday Express which is to be paid for.
This morning I donned my mask outside, went in and he handed me the two newspapers. I quipped that I wasn't a bank robber and as I left he asked if I intended paying for the Sunday Express. (Bearing in mind that he must be less than half my age, it makes up for him reminding me I'd forgotten to pick up a Sunday Express, one Saturday a couple of weeks ago.)
Moral: talking about masks makes a change from the weather.
As well as collecting my own daily paper from the newsagent, I get one for a former colleague. We both subscribe upfront, but he gets the Yorkshire Post which does not have a Sunday edition, so he has a Sunday Express which is to be paid for.
This morning I donned my mask outside, went in and he handed me the two newspapers. I quipped that I wasn't a bank robber and as I left he asked if I intended paying for the Sunday Express. (Bearing in mind that he must be less than half my age, it makes up for him reminding me I'd forgotten to pick up a Sunday Express, one Saturday a couple of weeks ago.)
Moral: talking about masks makes a change from the weather.
I've often wondered who it was that bought the Sunday Express.
Supermarket today people were wearing masks. Mostly ok but mostly disposable masks, not good for planet. Others were wearing masks with valves. You know those plastic circular things that open up when breathing out but close to stop stuff getting in. Then there's dodgy homemade mask where it fitted the top of the nose very nicely but went almost straight out such that you can see their mouth. Then there's the free nose types and the drop the mask types to hike a conversation or answer a phone or stand in the checkout queue.
There does need to be an education program because people don't all seem to know what they should know about masks I reckon.
There’s no stipulation for it to be a “mask”. Just something that covers the nose and mouth.
But that's the problem, the coverings being used aren't giving the benefit needed when droplets can escape through valves or uncovered nose/mouth. Perhaps there should be more precise stipulation to ensure correct use?
Supermarket today people were wearing masks. Mostly ok but mostly disposable masks, not good for planet. Others were wearing masks with valves. You know those plastic circular things that open up when breathing out but close to stop stuff getting in. Then there's dodgy homemade mask where it fitted the top of the nose very nicely but went almost straight out such that you can see their mouth. Then there's the free nose types and the drop the mask types to hike a conversation or answer a phone or stand in the checkout queue.
There does need to be an education program because people don't all seem to know what they should know about masks I reckon.
There’s no stipulation for it to be a “mask”. Just something that covers the nose and mouth.
But that's the problem, the coverings being used aren't giving the benefit needed when droplets can escape through valves or uncovered nose/mouth. Perhaps there should be more precise stipulation to ensure correct use?
I agree, I’m not sure it would help the situation though.
When this pandemic broke, and some people were wearing masks, presumably to protect themselves, I commented that the masks were of no use whatsoever. It was obvious that the masks were open by the sides of the nose. A virus is so tiny that it would be able to get through these gaps. The super brain scientists eventually said that masks do not protect the wearer. Eventually they decided that a mask will protect others. Why did these super brains not think masks would protect others? What, if the area around the nose is not sealed. Yes it may stop some droplets escaping but not all. Could it be that this government having awarded multi million pound contracts to companies to provide PPE, then making mask wearing compulsory is a bit of a wheeze to increase sales for said companies? As far as pandemics go, why was the government not prepared for a pandemic? Yes no government could know what the bacteria/virus would be, but having a plan in place for the first breakout of any pandemic might have saved many lives. Why did this government stop putting people into isolation? We saw this on nightly news, police escorts taking people from docks, airports to places of isolation. We then stopped doing this, was this on scientific advice? It seems we prepare for nuclear war but not pandemics. Which is more likely in the future, nuclear war or a pandemic? There will be future pandemics, international travel is so easy and common, but will we be any better prepared? I think not. To cap off my rant, how does a virus know it is in a shop, or cafe, or bar etc.
PPE isn't the same as face coverings. Health staff wear PPE with a purpose when needed. We're being required to cover our faces with a different purpose. No wheeze going on there. They're not even requiring you to buy anything specific to use, a scarf or buff if you have one or homemade covering if not
Mumbo, it all about risk management.. We could contain this and thus eradicate (in theory) if we all lived in a sealed bubble for some time. No contact with anyone. That means society collapses so we restrict where possible which means some contamination but it is kept low. We can't have it all ways and i guess, if herd immunity works, then ideally we all should get it anyway. Some people object for their personal reasons but as my ailing, very liable dad says, "it might kill me but thats irrelevant to the country". Some places are riskier than others but if yhat place is to stay open then the risk has to be faced. You can still shop in a mask but it doesn 't work in a pub. As the latter is a luxury you can choose not to go there.
Out on Sunday, I stopped for my sandwiches and assorted veg/salad stuff. Finished off with an apple. Despite this I had a desire for something sweet to finish it all off. My normal, albeit occasional, choice would be a Snickers bar.
No mask, no shopping, no sweet sugary snack. I did find a few blackberries which more than satisfied my need for sweet and also have given me enough for a few days breakfast with my muesli. Result.
mattsccm wrote:Mumbo, it all about risk management.. We could contain this and thus eradicate (in theory) if we all lived in a sealed bubble for some time. No contact with anyone. That means society collapses so we restrict where possible which means some contamination but it is kept low. We can't have it all ways and i guess, if herd immunity works, then ideally we all should get it anyway. Some people object for their personal reasons but as my ailing, very liable dad says, "it might kill me but thats irrelevant to the country". Some places are riskier than others but if yhat place is to stay open then the risk has to be faced. You can still shop in a mask but it doesn 't work in a pub. As the latter is a luxury you can choose not to go there.
He might feel irrelevant to the country, but there are plenty of vulnerable people who are economically active, but far more importantly- that’s not the only value people have. Losing your father would be a loss to the country, as is everyone we lose.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way.No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse. There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
