Will you continue using a face mask after 19 July?

[maomao]

Was in Scotland for a few days last week and mask wearing is near universal there. I upset my mum by having a go at a chinstrap wearer on the bus the first day we were there and I literally did not get a second opportunity the whole time I was there. On the train home everyone was wearing masks until we passed Berwick-upon-Tweed and by the time we got to London it was significantly less than half. The only place I've been in London where everyone's wearing them is Great Ormond Street Hospital. Even at the local hospital most people seem to have given up.

 

[Teaboy]

Just been to a local supermarket. The only people not wearing masks were the shop workers themselves (probably around 80% not wearing them) and two uniformed cops buying their lunch.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I would say that a large number of people honestly think they don't have to wear one on the tube any more, and would be quite shocked to be pulled up by a copper (though the likelihood of that happening is basically zero anyway). I actually had to check whether TFL had quietly removed it as a requirement for travel (they haven't).

 

[weepiper]

Was in Scotland for a few days last week and mask wearing is near universal there. I upset my mum by having a go at a chinstrap wearer on the bus the first day we were there and I literally did not get a second opportunity the whole time I was there. On the train home everyone was wearing masks until we passed Berwick-upon-Tweed and by the time we got to London it was significantly less than half. The only place I've been in London where everyone's wearing them is Great Ormond Street Hospital. Even at the local hospital most people seem to have given up.

It's still law here. That said I have noticed an increase in people not bothering - I just moved, went into the corner shop this morning for milk, there were three people besides me including the guy serving in there and I was the only one with a mask. It felt very unwise (not a big space) and I will avoid going in there again. The till had a plastic screen but it looked literally useless as anything other than a spit guard as it wasn't till to ceiling or anything. And when I went in the big Asda yesterday, I'd say mask compliance was still at about 95%, but the people who weren't wearing them were in big family groups and not giving any kind of fuck for distancing. I nearly had a go at a group of late teens (student age) who were pretty in my face and none of them with masks. But decided confrontation would just increase my risk (raised voices etc) so I just moved away (repeatedly!).

 

[Epona]

Just reporting back, the whole mask thing was dead in the water a couple of months ago in East London (in one of the worst hit boroughs and one of the poorest) and now seeing someone wearing a mask is a rarity rather than an everyday thing.

It is almost like the whole thing never happened (except, you know, the mass of deaths).

 

[Elpenor]

I’ll still keep wearing one even if I’m the only person doing so.

I don’t go out very much so it’s not a massive strain to do so occasionally. But I think it’s the right thing to do.

 

[quimcunx]

Was in Scotland for a few days last week and mask wearing is near universal there. I upset my mum by having a go at a chinstrap wearer on the bus the first day we were there and I literally did not get a second opportunity the whole time I was there. On the train home everyone was wearing masks until we passed Berwick-upon-Tweed and by the time we got to London it was significantly less than half. The only place I've been in London where everyone's wearing them is Great Ormond Street Hospital. Even at the local hospital most people seem to have given up.

Over the last couple of days I've wended down the country and would echo this. Best compliance was the leg started in Scotland. Pretty shoddy/patchy the rest of the time.

 

[sojourner]

I hate to admit it, but on the way home from Beautiful Days festival, I gave up wearing a mask in the service stations. Had been horrified on the drive down there to find a max of 5 masked people in rammed service stations, and then again on the way back. It just felt so fucking pointless to be wearing a mask when it really only properly works if everyone does it. Felt worn down by it.

I've started wearing a mask again in shops etc. The fella got really ill with a respiratory virus last week, not Covid as he got tested, but it reminded me that germs are now free floating out there, and given I have avoided getting a cold all this time, I'd prefer to continue that.

Now, I know this has been asked/answered many times, but bear with me - if wearing one stops you (mostly) transmitting particles, surely it must work the other way round too? Or help a bit, at least?

 

[Plumdaff]

We were in Matlock Bath this weekend and it was the first place I had been where absolutely no one apart from us was wearing masks. I can see why you might give up if you lived locally as it seems pretty pointless and alienating. I've been in other areas of England where it was low but this was zilch. Nada. Everywhere we went.

In comparison back in SE Wales, it felt like high compliance again - relatively - although the amount of people not bothering is steadily rising. It's still meant to be mandatory here, not sure anyone's enforcing that.

 

[Cloo]

I've started wearing a mask again in shops etc. The fella got really ill with a respiratory virus last week, not Covid as he got tested, but it reminded me that germs are now free floating out there, and given I have avoided getting a cold all this time, I'd prefer to continue that.

Now, I know this has been asked/answered many times, but bear with me - if wearing one stops you (mostly) transmitting particles, surely it must work the other way round too? Or help a bit, at least?

Yes, I think it does help to some extent in terms of getting it.

I felt very pissed off on the tube the other day, about 75% of people in carriage not wearing - I almost gave a valedictory 'Jesus Christ people, wear a mask, you're supposed to on the tube and it's so bloody simple. And just because the government doesn't care who gets COVID doesn't mean you don't have to care either' speech just before getting off. But I just couldn't be fucked.

 

[Tankus]

Still 100% covered on customers at lidl today, but the staff weren't, which is the first time I've seen that in 18 months

 

[elbows]

Now, I know this has been asked/answered many times, but bear with me - if wearing one stops you (mostly) transmitting particles, surely it must work the other way round too? Or help a bit, at least?

The most recent thing I saw in the press about that was about an ONS study that I have not read myself.

People who never wear face coverings in enclosed spaces are one and a half times more likely to test positive for coronavirus than those who use a mask.

A report issued by the Office for National Statistics looked at the characteristics of those testing positive in the fortnight ending September 11. While public information has concentrated on the benefits of stopping the spread of coronavirus from a mask wearer, a number of studies have suggested that they also protect the wearer.

Wearing a face mask does reduce your chance of catching Covid

People who never wear face coverings in enclosed spaces are one and a half times more likely to test positive for coronavirus than those who use a mask.A report

www.thetimes.co.uk

 

[Mrs Miggins]

- if wearing one stops you (mostly) transmitting particles, surely it must work the other way round too? Or help a bit, at least?

At the very least, wearing a mask will stop you touching your nose/mouth and that combined with handwashing will reduce your chances of catching something.

 

[l'Otters]

I've started wearing a mask again in shops etc. The fella got really ill with a respiratory virus last week, not Covid as he got tested, but it reminded me that germs are now free floating out there, and given I have avoided getting a cold all this time, I'd prefer to continue that.

Now, I know this has been asked/answered many times, but bear with me - if wearing one stops you (mostly) transmitting particles, surely it must work the other way round too? Or help a bit, at least?

Covid is airborne, so most masks don't completely protect the wearer but they should reduce the viral load at least. Even if it's a basic cotton one or gappy medical one it should help a bit.

As mask wearing has dropped off I've been aiming to make the mask I wear provide better protection to me.
I double up with medical plus fabric ones when it feels more needed, it is more of a faff, but I've done it for hospitals & longer train journeys.

 

[sojourner]

Nice one, cheers everyone

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Covid is airborne, so most masks don't completely protect the wearer but they should reduce the viral load at least. Even if it's a basic cotton one or gappy medical one it should help a bit.

As mask wearing has dropped off I've been aiming to make the mask I wear provide better protection to me.
I double up with medical plus fabric ones when it feels more needed, it is more of a faff, but I've done it for hospitals & longer train journeys.

yes I've been upping the quality of my masks as the quantity of people wearing them has lowered

I'm surprised at how little mask wearing is happening among my very mixed age student group despite being asked to wear them[by me] and having them provided [by me ]

 

[sojourner]

What sort of mask are you wearing now Miss-Shelf ? I've just been using cloth ones, but double-layered with extra insert, and nose wire.

 

[Orang Utan]

What sort of mask are you wearing now Miss-Shelf ? I've just been using cloth ones, but double-layered with extra insert, and nose wire.

I've switched from cloth masks to Tayogo FFP2 masks after my workplace reopened fully to the public and dropped the requirement for the public to wear masks - they make me 'feel' safer - don't really understand the sales bumf about ffp2 but I think they're better than cloth face masks for protecting the wearer. They're much easier to wear all day and breathing feels way less restricted. They also handily fold into pocket squares so you (Ok,I) can look smart while not wearing it as you just keep them in your shirt pocket
You can get them from other places but Amazon is the easiest to consult if you want to have a look:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tayogo-disposable-protection-Filtration-Certified/dp/B08LZCHK16?th=1

(experts/nerds - are these as good as they boast?- have no idea what FFP2/N95 etc mean but I know they're supposed to be of a certain standard)

 

[sojourner]

Ah cheers OU, I'll get some of them, they look great.

 

[Orang Utan]

Ah cheers OU, I'll get some of them, they look great.

aye, could do with some more colours to go with whatever i’m wearing but they’re great and although technically disposable, i rotate them so each one has at least a week between uses. only one has broken so far.

 

[Ron Merlin]

I've gone from a surgical mask to a single-layer cloth one but now wear FFP3/N99 ones on rotation like OU. I can't rely on others to wear a mask so I just have to protect myself the best I can. I still get the anger on the tube though.

 

[Riklet]

I wear my white FFP2 (shown to work well in some hospital studies) ones anywhere public indoors... I'm still on the original box I bought tbh.. I just use them until they're unseemingly dirty or get damaged which takes a while

This area is back up over 400 cases on the map and my specific local area is 950 which is super high. So Ive decided I dont care how daft I look or what other people do (went in a pub to order last week and I was the only person), Im going to trust my instincts and do what makes logical sense. I was one of the very few people wearing one at a local art trail event that was in the church with loads of stalls and people buzzing round.

Sure, the door was open but I was amazed how complacent people have become and how easily influenced... if people didnt see others wearing masks when they came in then they didn't bother either. You cant blame people for wanting it to all be over and to forget about masks but I cba to mess around when the UK has the second highest number of cases in the world the past fortnight...

 

[Ron Merlin]

I did a bit of rummaging on masks and found this informative piece. Hope people find it useful.

 

[l'Otters]

aye, could do with some more colours to go with whatever i’m wearing but they’re great and although technically disposable, i rotate them so each one has at least a week between uses. only one has broken so far.

I don't know where they can be bought from off the top of my head but I did see people on the mask sewing groups sharing patterns for covers for respirator type masks. They make them out of a single layer of jazzy fabric, to make the mask wearing more attractive for their rellies (or whoever they're making them for) & extends the life if they're doing the rotation method of reusing.

 

[l'Otters]

Previously I was making two- or three- layer cloth masks, combo's of cotton / polycotton / silk / polyester. I was making hemmed holes for people to put their own filter in, but then saw some stuff about how if the filter doesn't cover the entire of the mask's surface you'd likely just be breathing around it. And I wasn't able to make the filter inserts do that in my own masks. So I stopped bothering to make the gaps. I put a couple of layers of non-woven polypropylene in the masks instead now.

 

[l'Otters]

oooh but facebook is down so I can't go and check out who was making those respirator covers!

I don't know where they can be bought from off the top of my head but I did see people on the mask sewing groups sharing patterns for covers for respirator type masks. They make them out of a single layer of jazzy fabric, to make the mask wearing more attractive for their rellies (or whoever they're making them for) & extends the life if they're doing the rotation method of reusing.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

omnitex FFP2 for me from medisave uk, come in white, black and pink

 

[Miss-Shelf]

What sort of mask are you wearing now Miss-Shelf ? I've just been using cloth ones, but double-layered with extra insert, and nose wire.

I use these for going on london transport as I have a long crowded commute Non Valved FFP3 Mask (Individual) (HY9330)
I bought 7 of them and use them in rotation so they have time to sit it out until next week
I vary in what I use in the classroom - some times just a non surgical disposable mask, other times an FFp2 one

but I did use the FFp3 maks last week when I was in a basement with no ventilation and it wasn't the worse teaching experience ever and I felt more protected when chatting at close proximity to students

 

[HAL9000]

I've switched from cloth masks to Tayogo FFP2 masks after my workplace reopened fully to the public and dropped the requirement for the public to wear masks - they make me 'feel' safer - don't really understand the sales bumf about ffp2 but I think they're better than cloth face masks for protecting the wearer. They're much easier to wear all day and breathing feels way less restricted. They also handily fold into pocket squares so you (Ok,I) can look smart while not wearing it as you just keep them in your shirt pocket
You can get them from other places but Amazon is the easiest to consult if you want to have a look:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tayogo-disposable-protection-Filtration-Certified/dp/B08LZCHK16?th=1

(experts/nerds - are these as good as they boast?- have no idea what FFP2/N95 etc mean but I know they're supposed to be of a certain standard)

Short Vid about N95



I assume you need a good face seal. I tried something like this..

I was unable to get a good face seal, when I breathed out, air was going past the nose seal. So I suspect its only going to be of limited benefit.

I was able to get a good face seal this something like this..

but its more expensive and the elastic straps don't last long.

 

[l'Otters]

you can get replacement elastic quite cheap from any haberdashery. findable on ebay as well, much cheaper per metre the more you buy obvs. even if you only buy 1 metre it's probably cheaper (and a lot less wasteful) than replacing the whole mask.