Coronavirus: What are the rules for face masks or face coverings?

[patman post]

The UK is not like Far Eastern countries where wearing a mask when the cold and flu season arrives is part of their culture.

I think it's unlikely that mask wearing in public places will be required in the UK after Spring 2021, or until a majority of the population have been vaccinated.

At that time, anti-vaxxers and mask refuseniks will have to find other things to demonstrate their contrarian natures and  individuality...

[Barry]

When everyone has been vaxxed up we'll still have to wear face coverings. It will be for the 5% who the vaxx doesn't cover.
I can't see the government ever letting their control freakery disappear.

[patman post]

∆∆∆∆
Wading through the above, unless I misunderstand, the test was to discover the protection given to the mask wearer.
But wasn't public mask wearing meant to help protect others by preventing the spread infection by breathed out or spoken droplets...?

[Barry]

How efficient are face masks?
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-7448
After 1 month of follow-up, 1.8% (42 of 2392) of participants in the mask group and 2.1% (53 of 2470) in the control group developed infection (risk difference, −0.3 percentage point [95% CI, −1.2 to 0.4 percentage point] [P = 0.38]; odds ratio, 0.82 [CI, 0.54 to 1.23] [P = 0.33]). Although these results showed that mask recommendations did not decrease personal infection rates by the target of 50% that the trial was designed to detect, the estimates were imprecise and statistically compatible with an effect ranging from a 46% decrease to a 23% increase in infection. In other words, the evidence excludes a large personal protective effect, weakly supports lesser degrees of protection, and cannot statistically exclude no effect.

[Borchester]

It is indeed fortunate that most people comply with the law. Should they ever choose not to they would make a mockery of it. It's a good job that not wearing a mask isn't a political statement on behalf of the idiot bloc as it is in America.

I can't see that many folk bother in my part of the world. One of the local alkies wears the full face and welder's mask rig in the hope that it will grow him a new liver, but otherwise no one takes a lot of notice. Still, at least it gives Boris the chance to pretend to be doing some and since he is the best of a very poor field, that has to be to the good.

[srb7677]

Fortunate then that so many people actually follow the guidelines/laws/recommendations — anyway, that's my experience around The City, West End, and locally.

Can't blame shop staff, bus staff and others for not challenging non-mask wearers with so many violent people around

Doesn't stop me wondering why anyone, who genuinely finds breathing difficult while wearing a mask, would be out on their own when there are many local services available for the vulnerable...

It is indeed fortunate that most people comply with the law. Should they ever choose not to they would make a mockery of it. It's a good job that not wearing a mask isn't a political statement on behalf of the idiot bloc as it is in America.

[patman post]

The "law" om facemasks is so typical of this country in being yet another law that no one bothers to enforce

Fortunate then that so many people actually follow the guidelines/laws/recommendations — anyway, that's my experience around The City, West End, and locally.

Can't blame shop staff, bus staff and others for not challenging non-mask wearers with so many violent people around

Doesn't stop me wondering why anyone, who genuinely finds breathing difficult while wearing a mask, would be out on their own when there are many local services available for the vulnerable...

[srb7677]

The "law" om facemasks is so typical of this country in being yet another law that no one bothers to enforce. Legally it is mandatory to wear a mask in supermarkets for example, unless you have a medical exemption. But supermarkets themselves are not mandated to enforce it nor request proof of exemptions, so generally don't bother. Their staff would suffer torrents of abuse otherwise for which they are not prepared to financially compensate them, nor do they want to wish loss of custom from the recalcitrant. So we are down to the police. But they never seem to bother, and even when they enter stores to buy their snacks as customers, they say nothing to the maskless or those who think masks are chin straps. So it is yet another unenforced law relying on public compliance, with zero comsequences for those who refuse.

Making laws is easy. Yet also rather pointless without effectice enforcement.

[Barry]

West Mids Police issue a rather late apology for telling a man to leave Sainsbury's in Oldbury.
https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/news/apology-issued-over-misunderstanding-face-mask-exemption-sandwell-store

[johnofgwent]

It appears that, having suffered from asthma, I am amongst many many people who are exempt.

I dont know what this weeks advice is on wether face masks are any good for protection or protecting others but surely we either all wear them or we all don't . Maybe those with medical exceptions could wear the visor type protector when shopping or using public transport .

I am getting very fed up of saying it, but the fact is ....

When I cultured isolated rat liver cells (see "Howe, Voisey, Winterburn Biochemical Society Transactions Vol 182(?) 1981") I wore a mask not massively different to those seen on the nurses in the doctor's surgery today because i did not want the shit i was breathing out going all over the culture medium.

When I was analysing the pathogens found in blood I wore rather more, including at one stage a suit pretty much identical to the disposable biological chemical and nuclear contamination suit with its own scuba-style air supply because there was no way on this good earth i was letting pathogens that enjoy living in mammalian blood get their stinking cell surface organelles anywhere near any orifice of mine.

There are FIVE variables.  Existence of the pathogen. Distance travelled by the pathogen. Durability of the Pathogen. Directionality of the pathogen and probably most crucial of the whole bloody lot DURATION of exposure to the pathogen.

When I was doing the above research it was not unusual for me to spend all day in 15-30 lumps in a pretty air tight room (no obvious air flow in or out once the door was closed) in close proximity (six inches) to the samples i was interested in investigating.

Unless you can absolutely remove the first factor, existence, then it's all Dirty Harry "do you feel lucky, punk"

Medical Professionals are up close and personal with persons actively infected to biologically significant levels - that's why the poor bastards they are treating are in hospital after all.

With the exception of illegal immigrants in Leicester garment sweat shops, and rush hour london tube travellers, I genuinely believe NOBODY in the country can possibly receive the exposure a front line NHS worker can unless who (or what) ever they're shagging face to face not only has the pox but is gagging for it at a frequency i could only dream of as a bloody teenager...

Masks on public transport are all about you NOT contaminating your fellow travellers and the hard surfaces around you with your snot and spit if you have the pox.

Any other "protections" you may think you have are illusory, or pointless.

As of an article this morning, of the many mutations that have been seen in the virus so far, all but one have sod all impact




manipulating the culture solutions

[papasmurf]

the few who put on a song and dance about asthma

Your link has nothing to do with my comment. Chronic asthma sufferers will avoid putting themselves at risk. People claiming asthma as an excuse not to wear a mask should be disbelieved...
[/quote]

Your comment:-  "the few who put on a song and dance about asthma" is offensive

[patman post]

That is a VERY crass comment.
https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5108

Your link has nothing to do with my comment. Chronic asthma sufferers will avoid putting themselves at risk. People claiming asthma as an excuse not to wear a mask should be disbelieved...

[papasmurf]

the few who put on a song and dance about asthma

That is a VERY crass comment.
https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5108

[patman post]

That's quite a chunk of society.

Not really when you boil it down — seems like only those with mental problems, and the few who put on a song and dance about asthma being a legit reason for not wearing a mask are the ones we're going to meet in real life...

[Barry]

You may need a very visible notice stating that, for your own safety.

You do not need to wear a face covering if you have a legitimate reason not to. This includes:

young children under the age of 11
not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
if you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
to eat or drink, but only if you need to
to take medication
if a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering

That's quite a chunk of society.