Covid cases Hospital Admissions & Deaths Rising - Should Masks Return?

[The Samaritan]

That is the question. We get dirty looks when we wear masks in shops/supermarkets. About 10% are still wearing one when we were last at the shops on Saturday outside the rush hour


COVID-19 cases are reaching record levels in the UK, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is warning of a vicious new variant. So is it time to bring back face masks?

In the last seven days, 1,109 people have died within 28 days of a positive test – that’s lower than the worst of the pandemic over Christmas 2020, but still a notable uptick since the beginning of this year.




https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1...iant-warning-who-coronavirus-cases-latest-spt

 

[motorbiking]

Wear what you want, but we are in the "living with covid" phase of the pandemic having broken the link between infection and death/serious illness for most people. Personally, I think keeping distance from people is always better than putting a mask on your face that has most likely been kept in your pocket or an uncleaned area, touched by unwashed hands and isn't clean.

 

[ajohn]

I do wonder about insisting on them in retail areas. Mostly down to 2 factors. Tricky to avoid using them and the rather large number of people who were initially shielded. May as well through in older people too.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Go into a hospital and see how they deal with it. No mask - no entry. I know of several local shops who've insisted on mask wearing throughout, and who reckon it has reduced the incidence of infection and staff sickness.

We are in the "living with covid" phase of the pandemic - really? I was discharged from hospital more than 24 hours early last week, along with everyone else on the same ward, because one idiot who had been PCR tested (4 days before going in for an op they do a PCR test and tell you and your household to self-isolate until you come in), but they hadn't isolated and came in and tested positive on the morning of their op. They hadn't self-isolated because we're at the "living with covid" phase of the pandemic, she was fully jabbed and in any case nobody is dying from it any more... The result was about 40 cancelled ops, a complete surgical ward shut down and the entire unit requiring deep cleaning before starting up again. A massively disruptive and costly exercise because we are in the "living with covid" phase of the pandemic... I despair of some of the idiots in our society, I really do

 

[JP_]

Wear what you want, but we are in the "living with covid" phase of the pandemic having broken the link between infection and death/serious illness for most people. Personally, I think keeping distance from people is always better than putting a mask on your face that has most likely been kept in your pocket or an uncleaned area, touched by unwashed hands and isn't clean.

Yeah, but some idiots like contact. I was queueing in at customer services Sainsburys last weekend, was loads of space all around, and the women who had just been seen turned around and walked directly at me, and nudged me as she passed. Was as if she was making a point of saying "I don't respect your personal space, I will infect you if I want to". Very odd behaviour.

Anyway, you can't prevent idiots from being idiots, but you can protect yourself.

 

[ajohn]

We are in the "living with covid" phase of the pandemic - really?

There is a devious aspect to it. By dropping laws companies are directly responsible for any effects it has on their business. Staff absences are a problem for them so what they choose to do is up to them. If someone has covid they are sick. I'm not sure how many people get sick pay as I have always had it.

It's similar with testing. If a company wants to they have to buy them as do the rest of us now.

Not sure now but Sainsbury said wear masks when people needn't. I'll know next time my wife goes to one. All people were. Sainsbury say to make people feel safer - really?

Some have left the checkout guards in place. Some haven't. Whatever the gov is now out of it. Many flights have been cancelled recently - staff absences.

Then comes more and more people catch it. That in some respects has been with us all along.

 

[jeds]

I asked my best friend - a very senior nurse - what she thought about masks. She was generally in favour but told me they had special training to use and dispose of masks by a so-called expert. They were shown how to hook the mask by the elastic on the ends of the fingers and thumbs and to dispose without touching the filter part of the mask. The wearer must then sanitise before touching any other surface. One of the nurses asked the question and they were told that most virus is transferred by hands. The nurse pointed out that in real life people use masks multiple times, in and out of pockets, without any special procedure and without sanitisation. This was met with a blank stare for a minute and a shrug. For many, many months Scotland continued to insist on masks everywhere yet the covid rate increased over England - quite significantly. So it looks like masks make it worse.

 

[JP_]

Yep. Airlines stopped masks, now they are grounded as too many staff are sick.
Says it all really.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

They were shown how to hook the mask by the elastic on the ends of the fingers and thumbs and to dispose without touching the filter part of the mask. The wearer must then sanitise before touching any other surface.

That's what always surprises me - people putting a mask on or taking one off don't sanitise their hands immediately. In fact I can't remember seeing anyone sanitising their hands in public for months, now (other than myself or my missus). For a short while I'll be on crutches following and op and the physio made a special point of demostrating how and when to sanitise mobility aids. This is apparently overlooked a lot by users.

 

[JohnD]

but I understand the the spreading is most common by an infected person breathing or coughing out tiny infected droplets.

Being a disease of the respiratory system, these are (a) heavily infected (b) very prone to infect the person who breathes them in.

There have been some terrible infection cases inside offices and restaurants with recirculating ventilation or air conditioning which blows the droplets around.

The masks trap the droplets expelled by the infected person.

Some ignorant dummies thibk that masks are "supposed" to trap fragments of virus. This is not correct. It is the droplets in which they live and travel.

 

[JohnD]

Yep. Airlines stopped masks, now they are grounded as too many staff are sick.
Says it all really.

Aircraft have very little fresh air, and are notorious for spreading disease among passengers cropped up in close proximity to people from all over the world.

hasn't everyone got off a plane and come down with some bug a couple of days later?

 

[Deleted member 292770]

lol

 

[The Samaritan]

My OH, my two grand kids aged 4 & 5 took me out on a bus to the local shopping centre. I've not really been on a bus for a good 40 years it was an experience as I nearly fell as the bus moved at speed.

My observations: On the bus which was about 40% full on the ground floor, a couple of people wore masks and they appeared to be well over 70. I too wore one but not the high grade cumbersome one I normally wear
At the mall, I wore one in M&S , Boots and H Samuel = in M&S about 5% were wearing a mask and mostly older than 60 but seen a few around 40. and then the children wanted a burger, as we and their parents dont do that for the kids we got them a little drink and tuna and salad, hardly anyone wore a mask there.

Therefore, hardly anyone is wearing a mask on the buses and in the shops. This in my view is wrong.

Sadly, the gov is doing away with the figures as they dont do them at weekends and news is wall to wall re the war.

Not talking about Covid does not make it disappear. The only good thing, in about 2+ months weather will be warmer and hopefully less deaths etc.
However, come autumn the gov will be blaming everyone else and then panic stations re more jabs and telling us we are doing much better than the rest of the world.

The gov should have kept it a mandatory item to wear masks in confiend areas ie shops and public transport. This in my view would have and will result in less deaths and less pressure on the NHS. Sadly, the clown could not give a F nor can his cronies as most are relatively fit and young.

 

[conny]

Our college is insisting that staff and students continue to wear masks, especially in communal areas, (? everywhere you go in a college is a communal area! Classrooms, study rooms and areas, changing rooms, canteen et al!). Staff are allowed to remove theirs in a classroom but must stay at least 2 metres away from a student. Teachers ignore this rule and keep their masks on because there is always someone coming up to ask a question. I occasionally get to sit in the office with my boss, who sits about 2 1/2 metres away and slightly behind. I still keep my mask on. Sanitise my hands when I get out my car, walk in the entrance doors, walk into the office, get in and out the lift etc. We have 2 cleaners who now work 9.30am to 4.00pm solely walking round with sanitiser spray and cloths constantly wiping down touch points on doors, bannisters, swipe areas of the speed barriers. When the late shift cleaners come in at 4.00pm every desk/work surface in every classroom is sanitise wiped along with the chairs/stools. We are, (well we were when I was last in just over a week ago), the bottom of the East Suffolk education establishments list for cases of Covid. When students arrive they are reminded to use the sanitiser stations though some have their own personal bottle and use this.
Face up to it people! It hasn't gone away and it won't if we drop our guard too soon! Shops have signs up requesting people sanitise and wear masks but because brainy boris said they don't need to they don't and the shop staff don't have the legal right to enforce them to.
I had to go into hospital last week for a kidney biopsy and my wife was not allowed in the hospital to even accompany me to the day ward! This morning we took my middle steson to Papworth for a pacemaker check. Only his mum was allowed to go with him. On Thursday my wife is going to Ipswich to see a specialist and we have been told I can 'escort' her to the waiting room but must then go back outside until she is finished. Obviously in all cases we have had to wear masks and sanitise on entry and when I was in all the staff were wearing masks/gloves etc Both me and the other guy in the day ward wore ours all the time, (approximately 9 hours just in the ward).

 

[The Samaritan]

Our college is insisting that staff and students continue to wear masks, especially in communal areas, .

All credit to the captain of that ship. Any outfit/organisation, its the captain that makes or breaks them.