COVID-19: are you wearing a mask?

[DCUKMod]

We have seen a similar thing here, people think the rules do not apply to them...

'Twas ever thus.

 

[Mike d]

UK = (near) 27,000 deaths AUS = 91 (and half of those down to a cruise ship that should never have been allowed to dock and 2 nursing homes)

Not hard to work out why with even a small dose of logic.

Also obvious there's one european country and one asian nation that clearly are not telling the truth with regard to fatalaties

 

[therower]

A quick straw poll whilst sitting outside Morrisons during today’s NHS hour.
82 ( to be assumed NHS ) customers entered the store.
75 not wearing masks.
7 wearing masks.
Personally I don’t feel the need to wear a mask BUT like all PPE it’s down to the individual to undertake their own risk assessment and make their own decisions.

 

[JohnEGreen]

Except it not only yourself you may be putting at risk.

 

[therower]

Except it not only yourself you may be putting at risk.

It’s down to the individual to protect themselves. If you do your upmost to protect yourself that’s the best you can do.

 

[Daphne917]

yup.
They all do that.
Doesn’t stop people walking, standing and talking far to close to each other once inside, though.
At least a quarter of the shoppers were acting as if they had never heard of social distancing, talking on phones, reaching past other customers to get stuff out of fridges, standing too close...

The staff were standing right next to each other, chatting, or filling shelves, then asking the customers to obey the social distancing rules - to very little effect.

I’m also not sure what bit of ‘only one way and follow the BIG blue arrows’ that some people don’t understand?

 

[Daphne917]

Tricia - I'm not trivialising your concerns, but currently I wouldn't say most GP surgeries are high risk.

I have had reason to call at our surgery twice since all this started. Once, right at the beginning, I received a royal rollocking for being there, even though there was nothing to tell anyone they shouldn't be there, and I couldn't get through on the phone.

The second time, I had, on their instructions to pick up a document in readiness for a consultant appointment on Friday. Even though told to be there I was treated like a pariah, and I swear if they'd had one of those litterpicker sticks to hand thaty'd have used it through the letterbox.

My neighbour who works in mental health in the community, out of GP clinics, reports them deserted, with most people, when they have appointments, simply not attending.

Personally, I think a reliable vaccine is some way away, and for me, I would not want to be an early adopter of something only very scantily tested. It strikes me, if they can find a vaccine for this, they will be a fair way towards something for the common cold.

I don't want to derail any further, having already contributed on the wearing of masks.

I had to drop something off at my surgery on Wednesday and happened to see an old friend who’d had a major op in January. We were chatting 20 feet apart but when another patient came in we were told to leave because the waiting room was getting crowded. There were 3 of us in a room that normally seats 100.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Personally I don’t feel the need to wear a mask BUT like all PPE it’s down to the individual to undertake their own risk assessment and make their own decisions.

That's missing the point completely, it isn't just your personal risk assessment for you, it's everybody else you should be thinking about, not just yourself. I'm struggling to understand why people can be so selfish just thinking about themselves. It's really like '*** you jack, I'm alright'. Please think of others. We're all you've got when the brown stuff hits the fan, that person you breath over, while you unknowingly already have the virus could be the medic who might be needed to look after you in hospital.

Ed. by mod to better comply with the forum rules on acceptable language

 

[hankjam]

It’s down to the individual to protect themselves. If you do your upmost to protect yourself that’s the best you can do.

With respect I think the suggestion appears to be that it is easier to give than receive.

 

[JohnEGreen]

It’s down to the individual to protect themselves. If you do your upmost to protect yourself that’s the best you can do.

Totally disagree the most selfish statement I have ever read on this forum you do have a responsibility to ensure you as an individual do not recklessly endanger others the whole point of the lockdown masks hand washing etcetera is not just to ensure you do not get infected but also to try and prevent the infection spreading to others.

 

[DCUKMod]

I had to drop something off at my surgery on Wednesday and happened to see an old friend who’d had a major op in January. We were chatting 20 feet apart but when another patient came in we were told to leave because the waiting room was getting crowded. There were 3 of us in a room that normally seats 100.

Daphne - on the twice I have been there, I was not allowed over the threshold. The door is locked, and requires to be knocked - no door bell or anything else.

Allegedly, they should not be locking doors. The CCG have directed against, but hey ho.

No wonder people are put off contacting their doctors with genuine concerns, requiring a view sooner, rather than later.

The next PPG could be interesting. For me, our bunch haven't covered themselves in glory.

 

[UserABC2021]

I have to say my local health centre has been amazing. They have video appointments for most run of the mill ailments, my repeat prescriptions are sent to my local chemist who delivers the same day.

Yesterday I was in video chat with my doc regarding my upcoming spinal surgery which has been delayed because of the virus. Whilst I was ill with the virus the junior docs called me every two days to check in.

My neighbour opposite who uses the same centre had the same service during her virus bout so I don't think it was favouritism for a retired paramedic.

 

[Peter03]

In France we have quite heavy fines, which I think helps people to respect the rules, now France has asked people to wear them in certain situations, I have to say I think covid 19 is going to be with us for a long time, so any protection is helpful.

 

[therower]

Totally disagree the most selfish statement I have ever read on this forum you do have a responsibility to ensure you as an individual do not recklessly endanger others the whole point of the lockdown masks hand washing etcetera is not just to ensure you do not get infected but also to try and prevent the infection spreading to others.

As I pointed out. In my opinion the wearing of masks in public is not necessary. My wife who is currently dealing hands on with covid19 positive patients is wearing full PPE ( or the best the NHS can offer ). The risk assessment dictates this. Likewise if I was in her position I would wear PPE.
I wear cut resistant gloves at work as part of PPE because I use a knife on a regular basis and there is a risk of being cut. Strangely I don’t wear cut resistant gloves whilst eating my dinner because there is a reduced risk.
I fully respect your stance on the use of masks. As much as you find my statement selfish I find your paranoia detrimental to society as a whole.

 

[kev-w]

I'd wear one of those at 1.00 mins

 

[NicoleC1971]

It’s down to the individual to protect themselves. If you do your upmost to protect yourself that’s the best you can do.

If you drive a car then you put yourself and others at risk. In a democracy we have to trust others to make a decision on the right thing to do even if we don't always agree with it. I find that fear of this thing is causing us social shaming on forums like this and it seems from what the government is saying, the price for returnng some kind of normality will be a confidence trick of wearing masks in the belief that this will protect us and others from transmission. Btw the WHO has just lauded Sweden (no masks, no gloves, no lockdown and just compliant popoulation being socially compliant.

 

[Jaylee]

Except it not only yourself you may be putting at risk.

I'm weighing this up like the car seat belt mandatory law passed in 1983?
I seem to remember a lot of kick back at the time regarding this, (I'm a good driver.) including would you believe the "idea" in one of the tabloids at the time of a tee shirt with a printed seat belts to flout the law utilising this safety feature fitted in cars to avoid the possibility severe head trauma in the event of a road collision..
It wasn't until 8 years later, it was made compulsory for all car occupants to "buckle up," because the ones free ranging in the back were also assessed just as much at risk to themselves & crushing the front seaters as the impact.

 

[HSSS]

There is major difference with masks in populated public areas to prevent spread of covid and most other forms of ppe

Usually ppe is to protect the wearer, so it is their own risk, their own decision. Agree (other than a potential NHS burden argument)

These masks, in this way, are to protect others from you - whether you are willing to chance getting it or not is meaningless, the whole point is you might not know you are contagious.

Any person near other people might unknowingly be spreading the virus and they have no way to know who it might infect or who they live with etc etc

public responsibility as opposed to personal if the issue if it’s to prevent spreading not catching.

 

[lindisfel]

It’s down to the individual to protect themselves. If you do your upmost to protect yourself that’s the best you can do.

If we could all protect ourselves and not require a society wide response, we would need a much less contagious virus to fight.

However the nature of the virus is not something we have any control over.
You sound rather like the miller who lived on the River Dee!
D.

 

[lovinglife]

Out on my weekly shop today noted a lot more shoppers wearing masks and gloves but I also noted that these people were a lot less stringent in keeping the 2 metre rule and in fact I had to step back a couple of times when a lady leant in in front of me a couple of times to get something of the shelf. The people who were not wearing PPE were a lot more observant of following the social distancing rule, I have no great preference or opinion on the PPE but I do think instills some wearers with a false sense of security