Will you continue using a face mask after 19 July?

[killer b]

But why the disparity. If the percentage supporting mask-wearing until COVID is under control is similar, why don't 40% of Urban75 users also support making masks permanent? Or do they? No entering indoor public spaces ever again unless masked up. I know that it would help with this but I don't get a feeling that this site is full of young anarchist protestors any more, it's mostly scared people cowering at home who think the government isn't enacting enough restrictions.

there are a number of people on the thread saying they'd support/carry on wearing masks permanently, at least when they have a respiratory infection. I've no idea what the numbers would look like if you polled us, but it's definitely a current on here.

I've already posted upthread about the % uptake of mask wearing before it became compulsory - it was 30%, which is not enough for any public health initiative to have an impact.

It's all very well to go on about people cowering at home: and certainly, some people are very scared about what's coming next. I don't think that's an unreasonable opinion to hold. But from a public health point of view, it is obviously necessary to compel people to take some measures when we're in a pandemic - the evidence of the last 15 months is pretty clear. I'm not sure what the anarchist take on public health emergencies is, but I don't think it's 'let everyone make their own decisions, it'll be reet'

 

[platinumsage]

there are a number of people on the thread saying they'd support/carry on wearing masks permanently, at least when they have a respiratory infection. I've no idea what the numbers would look like if you polled us, but it's definitely a current on here.

I've already posted upthread about the % uptake of mask wearing before it became compulsory - it was 30%, which is not enough for any public health initiative to have an impact.

It's all very well to go on about people cowering at home: and certainly, some people are very scared about what's coming next. I don't think that's an unreasonable opinion to hold. But from a public health point of view, it is obviously necessary to compel people to take some measures when we're in a pandemic - the evidence of the last 15 months is pretty clear. I'm not sure what the anarchist take on public health emergencies is, but I don't think it's 'let everyone make their own decisions, it'll be reet'

No, this particular question isn't about mask-wearing now, or in a pandemic, which is of course entirely reasonable - it's about permanent compulsory mask-wearing post-COVID world. A whopping 40% agree that they should never again to go to a concert or indoor event where everyone isn't wearing a mask, despite the risks of catching a disease being the same as they were in 2019.

 

[glitch hiker]

No, this particular question isn't about mask-wearing now, or in a pandemic, which is of course entirely reasonable - it's about permanent compulsory mask-wearing post-COVID world. A whopping 40% agree that they should never again to go to a concert or indoor event where everyone isn't wearing a mask, despite the risks of catching a disease being the same as they were in 2019.

we're nowhere near a post covid world, probably best not to use that as a position to argue from

 

[platinumsage]

we're nowhere near a post covid world, probably best not to use that as a position to argue from

It was the question put in the IPSO Mori poll. That's what I'm discussing.

 

[killer b]

A whopping 40% agree that they should never again to go to a concert or indoor event where everyone isn't wearing a mask, despite the risks of catching a disease being the same as they were in 2019.

I don't think you can really assume all of that 40% think this. People respond to those polls with the closest thing to their opinion out of the options given.

 

[xenon]

Depends what you mean by elsewhere. And public opinion and Urban opinion are not broadly in line at all if the polls are accurate. The one here has over 90% in favour of masks or “maybe”. The one you posted has 40-70.

are they not different questions? with the 40% referring to people who want to wear masks, even after the risks have reduced.

that is a surprisingly large Minority. not one I would include myself in, for what it’s worth.

 

[xenon]

This whole wearing a mask when you have a cold. How do you blow or wipe your nose then. Surely you just don’t let the snot gather in the mask. I agree people should be more able to stay off work if they have such colds, but you know,

 

[Raheem]

are they not different questions? with the 40% referring to people who want to wear masks, even after the risks have reduced.

that is a surprisingly large Minority. not one I would include myself in, for what it’s worth.

Not sure it's clear whether the 40% all want masks to be mandatory in public places forever, or just for masks to carry on being a thing.

 

[l'Otters]

Language like “cowering” is vile. the people on here who are taking extra care are people who have been told by their doctors they’d be highly unlikely to survive getting infected with covid. To use that term to describe their behaviour is well out of order.

As for myself I’m sick to the back teeth of my response to this pandemic being framed as about personal fear; it’s nearly always couched in sneering and mocking; too many peoples’ framing is purely about their individual personal risk & they seem completely oblivious to the entire dimension to this, where you change your behaviour to protect other people who perhaps you don’t even know.

 

[krtek a houby]

I've spent many more hours sitting on Japanese subway trains opposite unmasked sniffing people with runny noses than I have opposite mask wearers. And no it's not nonsense.

Masks have been commonplace here for decades.

Not as commonplace as the last year or so, but when in season, you'll see as many wearing them as not.

For the reasons given above.

The makeup and spotty theory is made up and spotty, at best.

 

[planetgeli]

IME of HK, Taiwan and Japan, they were never exactly common, only a low single-figure percentage would wear them, often people who had a make-up/pimple disaster or something. Certainly plenty of sniveling cold-suffers wouldn't bother.

Ok, not HK, Japan or Taiwan. This is Hoi An, Vietnam, a town by the sea with relatively little air pollution. I took this photo in 2009. That's an awful lot of people having a bad make-up/zit day.



The majority are wearing a mask.

 

[cupid_stunt]

are they not different questions? with the 40% referring to people who want to wear masks, even after the risks have reduced.

that is a surprisingly large Minority. not one I would include myself in, for what it’s worth.

Same here.

The only reason I am going to keep wearing a mask for now, is because cases are going through the roof around here, up 146.5% in the last 7-days, so it seems logical to do such a small thing, that at least reduces the risk factor a bit.

The whole idea of making them optional with the current rocketing infection rates, rather than waiting a few more weeks until things hopefully start settling down, just seem fucking reckless and bizarre, TBH.

It's just one big experiment to let the virus rip, I'll just observe it, but I am not bloody getting involved in it.

 

[killer b]

Language like “cowering” is vile. the people on here who are taking extra care are people who have been told by their doctors they’d be highly unlikely to survive getting infected with covid. To use that term to describe their behaviour is well out of order.

I think this is overegging it a bit - even the most at-risk groups have a good to very good chance of survival. But y'know - anything over a few percent is not something anyone sensible really wants to gamble with.

 

[l'Otters]

Well I don’t want to tag specific people & I understand we’re not supposed to bring up details of stuff off of different threads so can’t really say much more than what I said already.

 

[killer b]

Well I don’t want to tag specific people & I understand we’re not supposed to bring up details of stuff off of different threads so can’t really say much more than what I said already.

My own partner is clinically extremely vulnerable, I wasn't able to see her for most of last year and a lot of this, she didn't leave her house for months and months. I've read a lot about the risk factors, and haven't seen any data that points towards any group being highly unlikely to survive infection.

Her doctors did warn her that she needed to shield in the strongest possible terms, but her chances were still pretty good if she did actually get it (as indeed she did, in the end - and she's fine).

 

[Elpenor]

Ok, not HK, Japan or Taiwan. This is Hoi An, Vietnam, a town by the sea with relatively little air pollution. I took this photo in 2009. That's an awful lot of people having a bad make-up/zit day.

View attachment 277661

The majority are wearing a mask.

Probably to avoid tanning, I understand that light coloured skin is favoured in SE Asia amongst other places

Edit - a lot wearing gloves maybe for the same reason

 

[planetgeli]

Probably to avoid tanning, I understand that light coloured skin is favoured in SE Asia amongst other places

Edit - a lot wearing gloves maybe for the same reason

Yeah, tanning or the zits. Definitely nothing to do with Sars.

 

[Spymaster]

Yeah, tanning or the zits. Definitely nothing to do with Sars.

I’ve asked about this in Asia and to be fair, many seem to be under the misapprehension that they’re affording themselves protection from traffic pollution.

 

[Yossarian]

IME of HK, Taiwan and Japan, they were never exactly common, only a low single-figure percentage would wear them, often people who had a make-up/pimple disaster or something. Certainly plenty of sniveling cold-suffers wouldn't bother.

Yeah, never a huge proportion in HK wearing them in non-pandemic times but they seemed to go from relatively unusual to completely unremarkable post-SARS, IME. Probably wasn't that big of a pre and post-SARS change outside HK and Taiwan, the places that were hit the worst.

 

[planetgeli]

I’ve asked about this in Asia and to be fair, many seem to be under the misapprehension that they’re affording themselves protection from traffic pollution.

But in Hoi An, in 2009, traffic pollution?

Nope. It might be an anagram of Hanoi but the comparison stops there.

 

[Doctor Carrot]

it's mostly scared people cowering at home who think the government isn't enacting enough restrictions.

Or people who have to work in public facing roles who don't want to serve unmasked members of the public while there's high incidence of a pandemic virus that can cause severe disability even among the vaccinated?

Speaking for myself and someone who you would no doubt place into your patronising little category, I don't want more restrictions I want restrictions to remain as they are until there isn't huge amounts of pandemic virus spreading rapidly that can cause severe disability even among the vaccinated.

The only reason I have to explain why a significant number of people in this country have a hard time grasping this is they don't have a hard time grasping this, instead they're just selfish pig headed pricks who don't really give a fuck about other people.

 

[scalyboy]

Or people who have to work in public facing roles who don't want to serve unmasked members of the public while there's high incidence of a pandemic virus that can cause severe disability even among the vaccinated?

Speaking for myself and someone who you would no doubt place into your patronising little category, I don't want more restrictions I want restrictions to remain as they are until there isn't huge amounts of pandemic virus spreading rapidly that can cause severe disability even among the vaccinated.

The only reason I have to explain why a significant number of people in this country have a hard time grasping this is they don't have a hard time grasping this, instead they're just selfish pig headed pricks who don't really give a fuck about other people.

Is this an instance of the misunderstanding (still prevalent despite repeated explanation to the contrary) that wearing a mask primarily protects the wearer?
Thus, only cowering, fearful people ( aka the elderly, clinically extremely vulnerable, people unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons) wish to wear a mask - the rest of the population will fearlessly go forth living their best lives.

In fact, and as has been explained many many times, the role of a standard (not an FFP2 F95 etc) mask is primarily to protect other people (especially the 'cowering' vulnerable ones) in case the wearer is infected with Covid. A sign of an increasingly selfish post-Thatch society ("there is no such thing as society?") that people cannot comprehend acting on behalf of others?

 

[Doctor Carrot]

Is this an instance of the misunderstanding (still prevalent despite repeated explanation to the contrary) that wearing a mask primarily protects the wearer?
Thus, only cowering, fearful people ( aka the elderly, clinically extremely vulnerable, people unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons) wish to wear a mask - the rest of the population will fearlessly go forth living their best lives.

In fact, and as has been explained many many times, the role of a standard (not an FFP2 F95 etc) mask is primarily to protect other people (especially the 'cowering' vulnerable ones) in case the wearer is infected with Covid. A sign of an increasingly selfish post-Thatch society ("there is no such thing as society?") that people cannot comprehend acting on behalf of others?

I was going to mention the post thatcher society because I think what you say is in some way true. I still cling to the fact that most people wear masks and most people support them according to polling though.

As I've already said, IME it's mostly men who perform that bollock scratching, shirt off I'm such a bloke type of masculinity and whatever the equivalent of that is depending on age, class etc. What's upset me throughout all this is just how many of them there are and just how many women want to match that type of attitude as well.

It essentially all boils down to fuck you, I don't give a fuck about you you're just a shop worker. There's no consequences for thinking like that and, if anything, it's in many ways rewarded.

 

[wtfftw]

I've just signed a petition to make passengers and workers safer by keeping mandatory masks on public transport. Add your name now: Keep masks on public transport

 

[Orang Utan]

I've just signed a petition to make passengers and workers safer by keeping mandatory masks on public transport. Add your name now: Keep masks on public transport

wish it was wider than that mind - including any public-facing workers

 

[wtfftw]

wish it was wider than that mind - including any public-facing workers

Same. I dunno if there's more. I just got the email for that one.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

wish it was wider than that mind - including any public-facing workers

Out of interest, do you think people should have to wear masks in pubs and clubs and to gigs? (I'm guessing so.)

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Ordered some FFP2 masks - better safe than sorry.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I've just signed a petition to make passengers and workers safer by keeping mandatory masks on public transport. Add your name now: Keep masks on public transport

I don't understand why people start petitions on these sort of sites, they just get totally ignored.

At least they look at & respond to those set-up on the petition parliament site:

Petitions - UK Government and Parliament

petition.parliament.uk

 

[LDC]

Out of interest, do you think people should have to wear masks in pubs and clubs and to gigs? (I'm guessing so.)

Not him, but I'm not sure I do. I think things like public transport, public services like libraries, and shops are very different as people don't really have much of a choice to avoid them, but with pubs and clubs and gigs it's much easier to avoid if you take that decision to lessen your own risk.