300 Euros fine for not wearing a mask inflight to Amsterdam

Apologies – the link somehow didn’t post. I’ll try again:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ugcPost-6683205745439309824-abr6

Statistical effect of mask wearing

This morning I read two news articles about distancing.

One was a well written piece by a journalist who did part time work in a pub in London. On Saturday night, despite her own measures, she was shocked by the total disregard of both the publican and the customers, who not only failed to observe any distancing, but mocked her for wearing a mask and trying to distance.
inews.co.uk/opinion/unsafe-working-pub-on-super-saturday-that-i-quit-492158

The other was about pubs which have had to close again due to being found to be infected with CV19 after the weekend opening.
inews.co.uk/news/pubs-closed-shut-again-postive-coronavirus-tests-covid-19-guidelines-497789

On Saturday my son did a 9 hour TGV journey across France to Brussels. Not only was the train packed in both classes, but he said there was no enforcement of wearing masks on boarding nor during the journey, and he said less than 50% wore masks during the journey.

In short, if currently available reasonably priced masks were effective against virus transmission they would be much more useful….I would happily wear an effective mask that protected me but am not remotely interested in wearing masks that merely make the ignorant feel (in reality without justification) more safe….

[quote quote=1003218]The take up for wearing masks in the UK is apparently one of the lowest in the World.[/quote]

David – you are correct that the takeup of wearing masks in the UK is low – less than 25% from people I pass in the street, from my own anecdotal observations.

The main problem for me, both here in the UK and in other countries, is the apparent belief by so many “wearers” that Covid enters the body through the chin (apparently, given that the mask is being worn under there). Additionally, so many of those wearing them on their face are using flimsy, cheap masks which are dangerous to them and other people as they actually give no protection whatsoever – they don’t inhibit this small particle size virus in anyway, but give the wearer a confidence that is misplaced. Finally, there are the wearers who are wearing an appropriate mask, but which they have not fitted properly, or they keep fiddling with it – another substantial proportion.

Properly wearing masks of an appropriate quality will give some benefit to both wearer and others, but they are very few in number – and they are too expensive for many to consider wearing them. In relevant places I wear an appropriate quality reusable (expensive) mask, properly fitted and for not too long. I carry more than one in a clean new bag with me and place used masks into a container for appropriate sanitisation immediately after use. But, my background is in healthcare. It is simply not practical to expect others to follow my example.

Chin masks, FFS! What next, knee masks? A lapel badge with the word ‘mask’ on it?

SimonS1 I am disappointed and surprised to hear that as in my experience Amazon are generally very fair and take customer complaints seriously.

I am wondering if the UV ‘wands’ that have have been mentioned on another thread are also going to be a bit of tomfoolery that will have people coughing up money for something that won’t do what they expect from it.

Other comments I’ve made on this topic ,on this thread and others on the forum would suggest that I’m anti -mask wearing.

Not necessarily the case . I’m a firm believer in marginal gains.

Where I have a problem with mask wearing is , when those marginal gains are achieved not by strategic advice , but by governments (not just ours) imposing a blanket approach because the scientific advice is becoming so inconsistent that it begins to undermine the credibility of all the advice

As I was waking up this morning, I heard (admittedly half asleep) on Radio Scotland an advocate for wearing masks suggest that new evidence points to Covid being an airborne virus after all .
For those out there who weren’t already paranoid and scared out their wits, well this person just ratcheted up their fears by another notch. Or three

My biggest worry with masks is simply this…..
The imposition (rule) that we now wear them whenever we are out and about reeks of , we don’t know what to do next rather than focusing on what collectively we should have been doing from the start….aggressively test, trace , isolate and eradicate rather than our incredibly passive approach of mass house arrest now followed by mass mask wearing.

Rather than extending the testing regime, Scotland’s draconian approach seems to be, masks on -fingers crossed as we snail pace towards something or another. Vagueness which leads to mistrust, fear and continued reticence to invest /spend cash to save our fellow Scots jobs

As always , I’ll add ….. I don’t blame Nicola or Boris for their mistakes, that blame lies east with an insecure totalitarian regime

[postquote quote=1003369][/postquote]

My wife had to have some as you can’t take a blood test at the doctors without it.

Personally I have used a bandana style face cover as required….double thickness and in my judgement much better than the made in China junk.

As canucklad says any marginal gains are worthwhile but I wonder how many people have been lulled into a false sense of security by wearing something that has no protective measures at all.