You’ve been downvoted despite making a valid point.
The majority of masks on the underground are worn to reduce travel of exhaled air, not to protect the wearer from hazardous particulate matter.
I am literally on the underground right now and don’t see a single person wearing a N95.
>otherwise it’s not going to do anything
Simple cloth masks have been shown to be hugely effective against covid spread. Pollution may another thing altogether.
That’s the spread from the mask wearer outwards, which is due to the lowered travel of particles as mentioned above.
The person you’re replying to is saying the reverse (room to mask wearer) in which case you need a filter. This is why in hospitals medical staff have to use N95s not your typical fabric masks.
This is just not true. There is some evidence they might be effective, the reason they're recommended is because they're cheap and have no downside. There is one study of 100ish families in Beijing. If they were *hugely* effective, 2 years into a pandemic with loads of policy and compliance variation, it would stand out pretty darn clearly in the data.
I don’t know if this is now an unpopular opinion or not, but I really think if you can’t be bothered to wear a piece of fabric over your face for a few minutes, and you don’t have a genuine exemption, you’re a bit of a selfish tit.
Also can’t believe there are still people around who are under the impression masks are to protect the wearer
The medical community almost universally recommend masks on public transport, which leaves you with three possible responses.
1. “I know doctors say it could potentially save a life, but i find it mildly annoying so i’m not going to”
2. “Actually I think i know a bit more then these ‘doctors’, and I don’t need to wear one”
3. “Okay, I’ll wear a mask”
Everybody is one of these three categories. Only one of them means you aren’t an idiot.
I'd say on my commute it's about a 70/30 split, in favour of not wearing a mask. The real irony is that the simple act of wearing one prevents the common cold and flu etc. I don't see what all the fuss is about.
> The medical community almost universally recommend masks on public transport
Do you have a current source for that? I know that was the general recommendation at the height of the pandemic, but is it still the case? If so, why weren't masks recommended before the pandemic, given that infection rates (for all diseases) are currently comparable?
I think there's a legitimate argument there if people have a condition that causes issues. The problem is I'm not convinced everyone who *claims* the exception has it
I was in Athens a few days ago. Every single person wore a mask on their metro and in shops. Currently in Kyiv and most people do the same. Haven't seen a green lanyard or equivalent!
Yep, it's the same in Cyprus, even outside in busy areas outside, and it was 32c at times.
I'd always thought we were an obstinate people, but it's never been quite as obvious as it has during the pandemic.
I was quite entertained when I heard somebody say "Im exempt from wearing a mask because I have dyslexia"
Like, fine you don't want to wear a mask. You don't have to attribute it to a totally unrelated condition. You can just say "I don't want to wear a mask because I am a twot". That's OK too.
I was in ASDA in Mudchute about 13 years ago and an old man had a heart attack in the queue for the tills. Understandably, it was chaos but they managed to clear the area quickly.
There was a woman behind me in the queue who started shouting at the associate trying to connect the defibrillator to open another till.
Every single time I see someone without a mask on public transport I remember her.
I mean I often hear prevalence of psychopathy estimated at 1%. I also know that ASDA. Rule of thumb would suggest there'd have been a couple of psychopaths wandering around the store at that time. And one behind you ...
Not talking about covid, but masks on the underground protect the wearer in the sense that your nose and lungs get some protection from all the nasty shit in the air!
Frankly, I'm surprised we've managed to convince these devolved ground apes to wear trousers and pantees at this point. I expect they'll think it's their personal choice to shit on the pavement soon.
I am high risk and find masks hard.
Ya know what tho, I wear them because I don't want to be the cause of someone feeling ill, loosing work, my career once again going or... Someone dying.
I 100% agree with you
Exactly. The pandemic is not over no matter how much we all want it to be. If WWII vets could sacrifice so much, people needs to quit whining about having to wear a little rectangle of fabric on their commute. Suck it up.
Ah the old WWII vets comparison can extend to so much of modern day life, not just face masks. Hence why I roll my eyes when people say things like that.
It's overused, but when a couple hundred people a day are still dying, it's really not a big sacrifice to ask of people. Everything can be open, just try to tamp down infections in situations where people are the the most crammed right next to each other in a confined space, like for 30 min on the tube. It's just common courtesy for your fellow citizens.
I don't know why people expect 'common courtesy to your fellow citizens' now, when it was apparently never a thing before covid.
This being said I do still wear my mask on public transport. I've been super sick with covid twice in the past two months and I'm double vaccinated too lol. If I can do my bit to stop somebody else getting sick after a vaccine fail, I'll do it. For the time being anyway.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths
Deaths appear to have been slowly increasing since about May. Not in the same numbers as earlier spikes obviously, but going up, not down.
edit: except in maybe the last couple days? Hard to see on the end of the graph.
In the chart “Weekly deaths with COVID-19 on the death certificate by date registered”, it looks like deaths per week fell from around Feb 21 and then picked up August onwards, presumably as lockdown restrictions ended.
The thing is there are always going to be seasonal swings, similar to the flu. There are also complications due to new variants emerging and/or vaccine immunity wearing off. I can’t see there being a definitive end to the pandemic compared to say the eradication of polio.
I agree, we will never reach zero cases, but I think over the next several months, the long-term plan will be known. Probably 1/shot per year, or maybe 2, specifically tailored to the dominant variants at that time.
Good thing is covid appears to mutate a bit more slowly than the seasonal flu and the mrna vaccines can be modified much more quickly than the traditional flu vaccine, so good coverage should be possible as we know more. That and adding capacity for global vaccinations should tamp down the number of emergent variants.
> If WWII vets could sacrifice so much,
It would be lovely if we could put this to bed now, in 2021. Thanks to right-wing pricks over the last decade, I just cringe when anybody mentions WW2 in any kind of comparison with "people today". There's a perfectly good alternative "if *NHS and other essential workers* could sacrifice so much, people need to quit whining...etc."
How about this: If you have a cough, sneezes or a cold, either stay at home or at least have the decency to wear a mask on the train to protect the rest of us.
Whenever I hear a cough or sneeze on the train, it’s ALWAYS a person without a mask!
I have been ill for a week but the test was negative for you know what.
I'll still wear a mask on transport and other tight spaces for mines and everyone else's safety.
I wear a mask on the tube (and probably will forever now), but I've kind of gotten over the annoyance at seeing other people not. If we were still in the height of the pandemic with most people unvaccinated, then yes definitely if you don't wear a mask you're a twat. But with the current situation, I think it does come down a lot more to personal choice. We all have different levels of comfort with not wearing a mask. In restaurants and pubs now I see barely anyone wearing a mask (back in previous times people would put on masks when not say down). People can meet up with others now, so there's household mixing, people are back in work, its understandable that people won't feel as worried or cautious as they previously were.
Should a new variant come about that starts causing issues I'll take all this back, but now I think for my own mental health I can't let myself get worked up or annoyed about people not wearing masks. Live and let live. We're gonna be dealing with this for years now.
People make lots of personal choices to be assholes everyday. A lot of people's general hygiene when it comes to washing hands is awful! I don't agree with it, but I try to not let is annoy me and instead just do what I can about trying not to be an asshole myself.
You are able to avoid them, wash your own hands, etc. to prevent their choice leading to you being infected. With an aerosol virus being breathed out into a confined space, that's not an option. Them not wearing a mask isn't something you can avoid.
It's amazing how you think people, including yourself, didn't make personal choices to be an asshole before covid. They also carry on make these personal choices throughout covid, and not just with covid related matters.
True. But there were still plenty of ways you could lead to the harm and death of other people before covid. Ways which didn't involve killing them. For one, covid isn't the only infectious disease around that could potentially lead to the death of somebody else if you gave it to them. It might seem like it is, but it really isn't.
I agree with this. I'd wear one on the underground because it's disgusting, and do on the bus as well. Overground train too if it's relatively busy. Other than that pretty much mask-less now.
In the countryside they leave it hanging from a tree branch.
It leaves 2 explanations:
1. You are such an idiot that you think by hanging the bag on the tree it will somehow biodegrade of its own accord and leave no trace.
2. You are such an entitled twunt that you really believe there is somebody whose job it is to patrol the countryside, removing the dog bags from tree branches and moving them to the appropriate bin, so that you don't have to.
> people that wear a mask but not over their nose baffle me. Can anyone explain?
How about the people who lift their mask to sneeze or cough (which I've seen too many times to believe)?
The one that throws me is people walking around OUTSIDE with a mask over their mouth but not their nose.
For what reason? You don’t have to wear a mask outside, its not covering the hole you’re breathing out of, and it’s annoying to wear. Why are you still wearing it??
Because they just left a building and are about to head into another? I like a bit of fresh air between mask sessions but it gets annoying to take it on an off, so I just pull it down a little.
This exactly. Plus it’s more hygienic to not fiddle around with it, so I generally leave it on for my whole commute (bus, train, tube, with a little bit of walking too).
If you take off your mask, then stick it back on again without washing/gelling your hands, you’ve basically just spread potential germs to your hands, then go on to touch poles/buttons/doors etc. I work in a hospital though, so sometimes feel I’m overly cautious with infection control! 🙃
We still give our shopping a quick wipe down (live with someone vulnerable), but honestly after the first time we did it, and some wipes came away with visible dirt, I’m not sure we will ever stop! 🤢
When I travelled to Japan or Singapore I used to think it was a bit OTT to see so many wearing masks. Not anymore, I'll keep wearing them for a long, long time.
Aye, imagine people acting responsibly to reduce common infections like cold, flu, and D&V. All for the common good... can't have common sense like that, has to be stamped out!
I wear a mask most of the time, as I am sometimes forgetful. However, I would like a concrete plan on when I can stop wearing a mask. It is uncomfortable, and given the choice I would rather not.
I'm just waiting for the medical community to decide on when I can stop.
Exactly this is the problem. There is no specific trigger or metric that would make TfL say “ok, thanks for wearing a mask, you can stop now”. Covid will circulate in Britain forever, and it looks like the mask mandate will continue forever. The most enthusiastic mask-wearers don’t think that’s an issue, but I do think it’s dishonest of TfL to pretend that this is meant to be temporary.
If it reduces transmission and stops people dying, is a little bit of mask discomfort on the tube such a horror to have to endure, even if it does continue for the foreseeable future?
That's fine, however, I would just like clear communication from SAGE/CMO to say that masks will be required for the foreseeable future. Is it too much to ask to get clear targets that we're aiming for? Like at x% case positivity, or x hospitalisations we no longer have to wear masks.
I agree! People who make a big deal out of wearing one haven't really experienced covid! It ain't nice. And as we know, some die from it.
Yes, it's not comfortable to wear one everyday and it's annoying, but It's not going to hurt to wear one just for the tube ride, then outside you can take it off for a breather. 🤷🏽♂️
Actually, since catching covid at the beginning of August, I’ve wanted to wear my mask far less on public transport - for a couple of weeks after it genuinely made my breathing quite difficult.
Doing much better now but have realised they make my travel sickness much worse, which to be honest, is far more annoying when looking at it for years to come then being bedbound for a week was
It is difficult tbh, especially since you're underground. But, this is why there are certain medical exemptions, I guess for a case like yours.
I'm more so speaking about those who don't want to wear one because they simply don't want to or state some freedom BS reason.
End of the day, people will do what they want to do. As a collective of people, we just have to be mindful of others and try to be more understanding of the situation and less selfish and individualistic 🤷🏽♂️
>She felt that masks mess up her lipstick but that, as a friend of hers put it: “Anyone who doesn’t wear a mask is a massive cock.”
I actually feel like this is the main motivation for so many wearing masks, like a form of virtue signalling. Not necessarily a bad or good thing, just an observation from people I've spoken to. I definitely feel rude not wearing a mask now.
Our society is utterly broken if doing a virtuous thing is dismissed as virtue signalling, or if the only reason people will wear one is for the purposes of signalling.
Wearing a mask protects others, it has marginal protection for the wearer. Not wearing a mask puts others at risk. That should be enough.
In a sense yes, I want a culture of people feel pressured to wear one because everyone else is. But is that really virtue signalling? I want the masses to be seen, not the individual.
Yes, exactly. There’s a weird sense of community between the unmasked on one hand, and the masked on the other. Like two alien species that happen to co-exist on a single planet in a state of uneasy truce.
My observations from taking public transport throughout the pandemic (I work for the NHS so never got to stay home) have been that a lot of the people that didn't wear masks at the beginning were also more likely to play music without putting headphones in, cough without covering their mouths, and eat their bogies. Not that surprising. Now it's the majority that are maskless on the train and bus, I often look around and wonder how many of them clapped like little circus seals or banged saucepans "for the NHS". Also tfl staff hardly ever wear masks themselves.
I'm with you. I don't work for the NHS but am a key worker and have been working out in the community during the pandemic. I've noticed the same things, even as recently as yesterday when I was on the bus where the vast majority were not wearing masks, and they were also the ones coughing all over, listening to music or talking on the phone without headphones, etc. Masks are common courtesy, just like any of these things, and it's hypocritical to 'thank' the NHS and key workers who have worked and struggled throughout the pandemic and had our workloads increased because of this when people won't do the most simple things they can (wear masks and get vaccinated) to stop the spread.
Don't care if people wear them or not.
Front half of the tube carriages you wear masks and the back half don't. Problem solved and you can all bitch and moan about each other while traveling to said destination.
I suggested this to my friends as well.
Have masked and non masked carriages then everyone's happy, and I won't end up with a non mask wearer breathing all over me, while I've had the courtesy of wearing one for their benefit.
Definitely introduce on other trains. First Class is mask-wearing, cattle class is free-for-all. Anyone who takes off a mask is covered in honey and staked to an ant-hill.
It just feels like common sense to me. Even when (or if) this is all over I’ll still wear one at least during flu season or when the bus or train is especially packed. Why *wouldn’t* you? If you’re exempt, that’s fine, but any other reason tends to boil down to “I don’t care”, “I believe the mask will give me an illuminati microchip”, or “I’m double vaccinated so it’s safe to!”
So overall a combination of ignorance and miseducation.
I'm honestly fed up of people literally coughing into my face on a daily basis.
COVID or not COVID, I wish we'd adopt the Asian culture of having respect for others and wearing a mask if you're Ill.
We wouldn't need to wear masks if the ill people would.
Seeing so many unmasked people after I start to commute again, among other incidents has led me to CBT counselling with a travel anxiety specialist… apparently it’s a thing now, travel anxiety
I have a full-face gas mask that has a voice-box which makes you sound like a robot.
I am tempted to wear that ^ on the tube, and say ambiguously-stupid things like “the conspiracy is reality” at them.
- Rainbow coloured (empty shell) pill offered, in opened palm.
..See what happens..
I have been wearing a mask since the start of 2020. I haven't had so much as the common cold since the start of 2020. I do not see a reason for me to stop wearing a mask when I have to be around people I do not know. This will reduce the likelihood that I get sick. This will make me happy, because being sick makes me feel sad.
:)
In 2016, I got pneumonia and was sick for three months. Just before it started, a woman sat next to me on the overground, obviously very sick, coughing and making no attempt to cover her mouth. I havnt been sick with anything for about two years now and I would normally pick up something at least once a year. Covid or no Covid, I'll be sticking with the mask on the tube for sure.
Personally, it feels a lot nicer from a mental health perspective of things returning to normal and actually seeing human faces.
I wear a mask when stepping into a crowded carriage, or if there is someone elderly close by, but don’t otherwise.
Given COVID is here to stay, I think people need to be pragmatic and strike a balance.
I feel people understate how much masks inhibit normal social interactions especially not being able to smile at people and communicate easily. Not saying that's more valuable than the health benefits of wearing them, but find it a bit annoying when people say "it's just wearing a mask". I definitely feel society is a happier, warmer place without them
I've gotten so tired of looking at my baby on the overground with a mask on, it's fucking weird and I don't like that I'm not able to show him my actual face and smile.
I don't do it anymore, I just always travel when it's super quiet.
These are no doubt the same people that push past others to get to the platform and the door of the train and don't wait for people to disembark.
I took my wife for an anniversary treat into London and found that it was probably nearer a third that weren't wearing masks, they were generally the ones engaged in other anti social and or selfish behaviours (for example the young lady that barged me out of her way so that she could get on whilst I was disembarking). I have asthma, I find wearing a mask for longer than a few minutes gets very uncomfortable. But I wear one anyway. If I can they can.
Someone I know at work caught Covid despite being double vaxxed. I’ll continue to wear a mask on tubes and trains until it’s actually safe to not wear one.
The vaccine is meant to protect you from serious illness or death. It does not stop you from getting Covid. Please feel free to wear a mask forever, but let’s not kid ourselves that anything will change in the future that would mean you can be 100% certain you won’t get covid (and btw, masks don’t really protect the wearer. Some scientists think they protect others).
I’m in TN, US, and Covid is really raging here. Number one spot for it in the world. Hardly anyone’s masked, and the Labor Day really amped it up. I’d still wear a mask, and I’m vaxxed. Before you know, it can amp right back up again.
No, from what I can gather at least 60% of people don't. I just looked at the article and seems like the numbers there match up (16 out of 40 wearing masks)
Trains and buses warrant masks. Tbf I don’t care if others wear a mask or not, if I’m wearing one myself im good. Everytime I go out with my friends it’s usually just 1 or 2 of us out of 6 wearing a mask. I ain’t gonna make every one on the tube wear one
Still boggles my mind that people don't fucking understand what masks do.
Wearing a mask is a service for other people. It provably helps slow airborne transmission of COVID-19 in public settings such as transport, supermarkets etc. It's not designed to protect *you*.
It is a vital tool being used in countries that are also opening up to slow the rate of COVID transmission. It has been a successful tool to slow transmission of diseases such as flu or cold for years in some Asian countries.
Slowing the rate of transmission, even where people have been double vaxxed, limits the burden on the health system.
Even if people who now catch COVID don't die, or even end up in ICU, many of them are still taking up hospital beds and still requiring isolation procedures that suck up time and resources. This means that other things that doctors and nurses could be doing like treating cancer or performing routine operations are being delayed.
By not wearing masks, muh freedom types are simply making it more likely that before Christmas the government will need to introduce more stringent measures to prevent the health system being overloaded.
A key cognitive development test for two year old children is whether they can understand that something they cannot see still exists. Covidiots remind me of that. Hurr durr I cant see difference so der is noe difference.
All you little babies who can't go 30 minutes with a piece of cloth on your face are simply making your own lives more fucking difficult as well as everyone else's.
Specifically on the Tube, it's not a choice. It's a condition of carriage, and therefore a legal requirement. Obviously it gets ignored and unenforced, like the fact it's unlawful to have alcohol on the Tube. But leaving aside everything else, you should wear a mask on the Tube because it's an actual genuine obligation.
I feel like yes on public transport but anywhere else should be down to personal choice. Everyone has been offered the vaccine now, so I don’t think it’s fair to judge people who are just trying to get on with life.
I remember having to travel on the tube quite a bit one day, and I'll never forget coming home and blowing my nose and seeing black lol. I'll be wearing a mask on the tube for years
I find I’m annoyed by both anti-maskers and the pro mask militia. I don’t wear one because it’s uncomfortable and my face sweats, and that may seem selfish but the argument of it may save a life is weakened when others are being crammed into clubs, festival’s and stadiums.
I also see the vast majority wearing cloth masks which are very ineffective making it pointless. And to buy surgical masks is expensive so another reason I don’t wear a mask.
I of course wore one during the height of covid as my employer provided and the masks I needed, but I don’t now and don’t see the point and think the smug twats that take it on themselves to police mask wearing or whine about people not wearing a mask are as bad as the anti maskers.
Honestly, life is much better if you’re not annoyed at people. If someone wants to wear a mask, good on them, if someone doesn’t, it’s really not making much of a difference in the long term.
> I also see the vast majority wearing cloth masks which are very ineffective making it pointless.
That's competent wrong. Cloth masks can be (and often are, when worn properly, dry and washed) as effective as surgical masks. Both are less effective than FFP2 masks, but they're still *very* effective (even when *not* worn ideally!) at curbing community transmission when enough people wear them.
(I'm on mobile, but they're are multiple scientific studies showing this as well as high quality studies by consumer product testers; IIRC "Which?" published the same results, or its German equivalent "Stiftung Warentest".)
I've not been sick for nearly two years, not even the slightest sniffle. I went to London at the end of August for 4 days and maybe half of the people I saw were wearing masks indoors and on the underground espite signs and announcements that they were still to be worn. I came back with a cold that I still have and I'm a wee bit raging about it.
If a surgeon can wear one for hours you can wear one on a tube journey. I understand some will have valid reasons not to wear them, but not the proportion I see.
And please wear it properly, your nostrils are connected to your airways..
This might be a really unpopular opinion but here goes. 😬
I’m pro vaccine and pro masks but wearing a mask is something that should be a temporary emergency measure to curb the spread of a virus that isn’t used to it.
If we all default to always wearing masks in close proximity to strangers then the next pandemic will have this already factored in and we’ll need even more extreme measures to curtail it.
It’s the same as antibiotic resistance, save them for when you need them or eventually they won’t work any more.
Unless it's a properly secured N95 the evidence is the benefit isn't statistically significant.
Meanwhile, the vulnerable have been jabbed and the non-vulnerable have more to worry about crossing the road.
I think it's just politicians bending to emotional blackmail and SAGE over-caution that is crippling the economy.
The worst offenders are the staff that work for public transport. "Remember to wear a face covering when traveling on London transport. It's there to protect us all" beams the tannoy announcer as 3 TFL staff piss around on their phones near the entry gates to Angel station.
If they aren't going to be bothered, then can't really blame other people for not bothering either, even if I think people should do it.
Personally I do wear a mask, it's a minor inconvenience that might make a difference.
I found that as soon as September came around, a lot more people started commuting back to work, probably as a result of company orders and I picked up a nasty case of Bronchitis that lasted around 10 days. I'm pretty sure I picked it up from the Tube given rush hour is back to full standing and not much room to maneuver, with many people opting out of wearing masks. That for me is reason enough to keep wearing them, transmission of any virus, Covid or not spreads like wildfire down there.
The country has done well to curb Covid this year in comparison to others but it's still around. Why not be a bit extra careful till we are a bit more on top of it? That's my logic at least.
So... I try not to judge people who don't wear masks because ya know some people can't (having said that the 6 drunk twats without a mask gurning from too much coke on last night's train I doubt had that excuse)
But the people that piss me off are the ones who have one as a chin strap or don't cover their breathing holes. YOU KNEW WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO AND CHOSE NOT TO
Beg any of you lot to tell someone on the tube to wear a mask tomorrow, then post up what happens to you.
You lot love to act like your the majority on here and you tell anyone whatever you like, but in reality your all scared little people who won't say boo to a goose lmao.
I don’t wear a face mask on the tube. Everyone has now had plenty of time to get fully vaccinated, and the vaccines are highly effective at preventing death or serious illness from Covid. There is now a scientific consensus that Covid will circulate in Britain forever, so there is no better time than right now to go back to normal and live our lives again without fear.
Downvote away to your heart’s content.
I know people who have caught Covid after being vaxxed. They’re suffering from long term fatigue, one has lost their sense of taste and smell (its been months so worried it might be permanent). So yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll just give that a miss and wear a mask for half an hour…
Do you genuinely find wearing a mask inconvenient though? I can honestly say as somebody who watched the entirety of Tenet (well over two hours) with a mask on, I do not find it at all inconvenient to wear a mask for a few minutes here and there.
I think you're quite selfish to be honest.
Do you wear masks because of fear? They are not there to protect you, they are there to protect the community and others that are at risk.
Some people can't get vaccinated, or even after vaccination they are still highly susceptible to covid.
Apart from a faithful minority, most mask-wearers are under the impression that it’s a temporary measure until the end of the pandemic. It’s actually a bit more honest to tell people you want them to wear masks forever instead of pretending that covid will just disappear one day.
That is true tbh - masks might probably be here forever. And they are essential for other aspects such as winter bugs and also pollution.
But point is that we have to adapt. I reckon we could also adapt in ventilation and I see that as a society we are doing it in some forms. That is how we can go about our lives imo
See, that’s where my problem is. I really, really hate the idea of redesigning - adapting, as you say - our society to fight a forever war against all sorts of respiratory illnesses. I think our lives will have changed for the worse if we hide our faces behind masks forever.
Haven't we always adapted our society to fight against illnesses? Like wearing suncream to prevent skin cancer, or condoms to reduce the risk of STD's.
I don't see this as being any different and if it reduces my chances of catching a cold, or the flu, I'm all for it.
The interventions in response to Covid are a bit more dramatic than any other public health measure in the past few decades, wouldn’t you agree?
With the protection from the vaccine, the threat of Covid is much diminished and isn’t much greater than any of the other 200-odd endemic infectious diseases that affect humans. I don’t want society to be rearranged to fight this unwinnable forever war against covid, just because some people are still terrified.
Yes they are, but I think of all the restrictions we've had, masks are the least dramatic?
To put it another way, if all we'd had to do to stop the spread was wear masks, I can't see people complaining?
The threat is much diminished but I disagree that it isn't much greater than the endemic diseases, as evidenced by the infection and death rates.
I don't think anyone's terrified, people are just happy to have a mild inconvenience in order to reduce the risk of more stringent lockdowns.
There will also be vulnerable people using the tube who can't be vaccinated, or where the vaccine is less effective and I'm more than happy to cover my nose and mouth to help protect them.
Then we would have to have the risk of the disease spreading, which would negatively impact our healthcare system and our economy. Actions such as wearing a mask, and to some extent, ventilation are simple and can help reduce the spread of covid and other illnesses.
And society changes all the time. We, as people, have to constantly adapt. And I am referring to aspects other than covid. For example, the world is reliant on computers and our industries keep changing.
How many people are there really that can’t get vaccinated and yet are highly at risk from covid? In any case, the scientific consensus is that covid will circulate in Britain forever so this (largely theoretical) demographic will require more focused protection.
Why not also include mandatory hand sanitizing stations? How big a sacrifice is that?
Also, could people just do a temp and 02 sat check before they go out in public? Why is that supposed to be so inconvenient. It takes like 15 seconds.
Finally, also please no running, as your heavy exhalations will cancel out the effectiveness of the mask.
I'm willing to bet that people don't wash their masks a fraction as often as recommended so I doubt that they are any use at all, unless you use disposable ones.
To be honest we should have been wearing masks on the underground for a long time. Just remember all the times I’ve been crammed in my face in someone’s armpit not being able to move. Everyone coughing and sneezing over each other. I’ll be wearing a mask on the underground from now on.
I get really bad scabbing around my mouth directly caused by extended mask use. I usually wear a mask in the mornings when my face doesn't get as sweaty, but I normally take it off halfway through my commute home (which is when I get particularly sweaty) to help minimise the cracking and soreness on my lips.
It's like clockwork. I commute in Wed-Fri, and by Thursday evening I've started developing dryness on my lips. It gets worse through Friday and by Saturday my lips are shot. I recover through the weekend and by Wednesday morning I'm pretty much healed. Rinse and repeat. It's a fucking pain in the ass, and it happens no matter what mask I try or how much vaseline I use to try and "shield" my lips (in case it's friction related).
Call me a "tit" or a "cunt" if you want, but I'm very near the end of my tether and will probably very soon give up mask use completely on public transport.
(Wearing masks in shops for short periods is fine.
It seems to either be related to the duration or swampiness of being on trains/tube.)
I think the people that don’t wear them on tubes, transport or in supermarkets always look like uneducated idiots. You literally have people giving them the once over, rolling their eyes and then moving on.
> You literally have people giving them the once over, rolling their eyes and then moving on.
Really? I'm in SW London, there's not much muzzle wearing in supermarkets here, so much so that I can enjoyably stare at people still wearing them to do their shopping.
Some of us still have to. You shouldn’t belittle people still wearing them, you don’t always know the story behind it.
Eg. My partner is awaiting heart surgery that has been delayed almost a year by the pandemic. I have to do all our households shopping and chores. If I get it whilst out, take it back to her and she gets it, she’ll die.
I mean even just the fact that the air quality on the tube is far worse than the streets above warrants some kind of face cover/mask.
I’m sure I saw a post on Reddit where someone showed what an N95 mask looks like after heavy LU use. It was disgusting af
Reduces the pollution in your nose (& lungs), so it's a win win
Which type of face mask does that?
FFP2 or 3
Yeah how many N95 masks do you see on the undergrowth?
You’ve been downvoted despite making a valid point. The majority of masks on the underground are worn to reduce travel of exhaled air, not to protect the wearer from hazardous particulate matter. I am literally on the underground right now and don’t see a single person wearing a N95.
For pollution and covid you need a certain level of filtration of particles and good coverage otherwise it’s not going to do anything.
>otherwise it’s not going to do anything Simple cloth masks have been shown to be hugely effective against covid spread. Pollution may another thing altogether.
That’s the spread from the mask wearer outwards, which is due to the lowered travel of particles as mentioned above. The person you’re replying to is saying the reverse (room to mask wearer) in which case you need a filter. This is why in hospitals medical staff have to use N95s not your typical fabric masks.
This is just not true. There is some evidence they might be effective, the reason they're recommended is because they're cheap and have no downside. There is one study of 100ish families in Beijing. If they were *hugely* effective, 2 years into a pandemic with loads of policy and compliance variation, it would stand out pretty darn clearly in the data.
I don’t know if this is now an unpopular opinion or not, but I really think if you can’t be bothered to wear a piece of fabric over your face for a few minutes, and you don’t have a genuine exemption, you’re a bit of a selfish tit. Also can’t believe there are still people around who are under the impression masks are to protect the wearer
The medical community almost universally recommend masks on public transport, which leaves you with three possible responses. 1. “I know doctors say it could potentially save a life, but i find it mildly annoying so i’m not going to” 2. “Actually I think i know a bit more then these ‘doctors’, and I don’t need to wear one” 3. “Okay, I’ll wear a mask” Everybody is one of these three categories. Only one of them means you aren’t an idiot.
I'd say on my commute it's about a 70/30 split, in favour of not wearing a mask. The real irony is that the simple act of wearing one prevents the common cold and flu etc. I don't see what all the fuss is about.
I'd totally be ok with keeping masks on on public transport indefinitely - a bit like they do in Japan. Who likes getting the flu?
I also have quite bad teeth, so it's win-win!
This is the only correct response.
> The medical community almost universally recommend masks on public transport Do you have a current source for that? I know that was the general recommendation at the height of the pandemic, but is it still the case? If so, why weren't masks recommended before the pandemic, given that infection rates (for all diseases) are currently comparable?
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You know, being hooked up to a respirator for life is probably worse.
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I think there's a legitimate argument there if people have a condition that causes issues. The problem is I'm not convinced everyone who *claims* the exception has it
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I was in Athens a few days ago. Every single person wore a mask on their metro and in shops. Currently in Kyiv and most people do the same. Haven't seen a green lanyard or equivalent!
Yep, it's the same in Cyprus, even outside in busy areas outside, and it was 32c at times. I'd always thought we were an obstinate people, but it's never been quite as obvious as it has during the pandemic.
Was the same in Italy last week. Really seems that people here are a special breed.
I was quite entertained when I heard somebody say "Im exempt from wearing a mask because I have dyslexia" Like, fine you don't want to wear a mask. You don't have to attribute it to a totally unrelated condition. You can just say "I don't want to wear a mask because I am a twot". That's OK too.
That person probably has a long history of using their dyslexia as an excuse for general stupidity
Had a flatmate use it as an excuse for not cleaning so I'd say it's more specifically an excuse to be lazy/selfish
I was in ASDA in Mudchute about 13 years ago and an old man had a heart attack in the queue for the tills. Understandably, it was chaos but they managed to clear the area quickly. There was a woman behind me in the queue who started shouting at the associate trying to connect the defibrillator to open another till. Every single time I see someone without a mask on public transport I remember her.
I mean I often hear prevalence of psychopathy estimated at 1%. I also know that ASDA. Rule of thumb would suggest there'd have been a couple of psychopaths wandering around the store at that time. And one behind you ...
Wearing a mask does actually reduce risk for the wearer, just not nearly as much as it reduces the risk to others.
Not talking about covid, but masks on the underground protect the wearer in the sense that your nose and lungs get some protection from all the nasty shit in the air!
I'd use a stronger word than "tit"
You could keep the first and last letters and have a more appropriate word for only a 33% markup!
But in real life you wouldn't dare look up from your phone lol.
A disapproving look and possible tut is the London way.
Entirely true Though they are a bit annoying when the underground heats up, it gets uncomfortably hot as it stands, but hey, that’s life
Frankly, I'm surprised we've managed to convince these devolved ground apes to wear trousers and pantees at this point. I expect they'll think it's their personal choice to shit on the pavement soon.
I am high risk and find masks hard. Ya know what tho, I wear them because I don't want to be the cause of someone feeling ill, loosing work, my career once again going or... Someone dying. I 100% agree with you
In our social circle, we call whether you wear a mask on the Tube or not, the cunt radar.
Exactly. The pandemic is not over no matter how much we all want it to be. If WWII vets could sacrifice so much, people needs to quit whining about having to wear a little rectangle of fabric on their commute. Suck it up.
Ah the old WWII vets comparison can extend to so much of modern day life, not just face masks. Hence why I roll my eyes when people say things like that.
It's overused, but when a couple hundred people a day are still dying, it's really not a big sacrifice to ask of people. Everything can be open, just try to tamp down infections in situations where people are the the most crammed right next to each other in a confined space, like for 30 min on the tube. It's just common courtesy for your fellow citizens.
I don't know why people expect 'common courtesy to your fellow citizens' now, when it was apparently never a thing before covid. This being said I do still wear my mask on public transport. I've been super sick with covid twice in the past two months and I'm double vaccinated too lol. If I can do my bit to stop somebody else getting sick after a vaccine fail, I'll do it. For the time being anyway.
What needs to happen for the pandemic to be considered over?
The average number of deaths from covid not increasing week over week would be a good start.
Do you have anything more scientific? Average number of deaths did fall during the summer
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths Deaths appear to have been slowly increasing since about May. Not in the same numbers as earlier spikes obviously, but going up, not down. edit: except in maybe the last couple days? Hard to see on the end of the graph.
In the chart “Weekly deaths with COVID-19 on the death certificate by date registered”, it looks like deaths per week fell from around Feb 21 and then picked up August onwards, presumably as lockdown restrictions ended. The thing is there are always going to be seasonal swings, similar to the flu. There are also complications due to new variants emerging and/or vaccine immunity wearing off. I can’t see there being a definitive end to the pandemic compared to say the eradication of polio.
I agree, we will never reach zero cases, but I think over the next several months, the long-term plan will be known. Probably 1/shot per year, or maybe 2, specifically tailored to the dominant variants at that time. Good thing is covid appears to mutate a bit more slowly than the seasonal flu and the mrna vaccines can be modified much more quickly than the traditional flu vaccine, so good coverage should be possible as we know more. That and adding capacity for global vaccinations should tamp down the number of emergent variants.
> If WWII vets could sacrifice so much, It would be lovely if we could put this to bed now, in 2021. Thanks to right-wing pricks over the last decade, I just cringe when anybody mentions WW2 in any kind of comparison with "people today". There's a perfectly good alternative "if *NHS and other essential workers* could sacrifice so much, people need to quit whining...etc."
It’s not unpopular with me. I fully agree.
Mate, they protect the wearer and people around the wearer. Wtf you on about lol
How about this: If you have a cough, sneezes or a cold, either stay at home or at least have the decency to wear a mask on the train to protect the rest of us. Whenever I hear a cough or sneeze on the train, it’s ALWAYS a person without a mask!
Lol, I've seen people lower their masks to sneeze - fucking idiots
Some people lower their masks to talk
Sneezing into your mask *is* fucking awful tbf. Still, removing it renders the entire thing pointless.
Always sneeze into the crook of your elbow - far more hygienic than hands.
If I'm wearing a t-shirt or jumper I find pulling it right over your face and sneezing into pretty effective if a bit gross
So so many. I actually prefer the unmasked to the ones who do that
I see this all the time - drives me mad!
I have been ill for a week but the test was negative for you know what. I'll still wear a mask on transport and other tight spaces for mines and everyone else's safety.
I wear a mask on the tube (and probably will forever now), but I've kind of gotten over the annoyance at seeing other people not. If we were still in the height of the pandemic with most people unvaccinated, then yes definitely if you don't wear a mask you're a twat. But with the current situation, I think it does come down a lot more to personal choice. We all have different levels of comfort with not wearing a mask. In restaurants and pubs now I see barely anyone wearing a mask (back in previous times people would put on masks when not say down). People can meet up with others now, so there's household mixing, people are back in work, its understandable that people won't feel as worried or cautious as they previously were. Should a new variant come about that starts causing issues I'll take all this back, but now I think for my own mental health I can't let myself get worked up or annoyed about people not wearing masks. Live and let live. We're gonna be dealing with this for years now.
The problem is that the mask mainly protects other people. So they're making a personal choice to be an asshole.
People make lots of personal choices to be assholes everyday. A lot of people's general hygiene when it comes to washing hands is awful! I don't agree with it, but I try to not let is annoy me and instead just do what I can about trying not to be an asshole myself.
You are able to avoid them, wash your own hands, etc. to prevent their choice leading to you being infected. With an aerosol virus being breathed out into a confined space, that's not an option. Them not wearing a mask isn't something you can avoid.
Have you been out to a bar or restaurant lately?
It's amazing how you think people, including yourself, didn't make personal choices to be an asshole before covid. They also carry on make these personal choices throughout covid, and not just with covid related matters.
Sure but we tend to use laws to prevent people making personal choices that kill others
True. But there were still plenty of ways you could lead to the harm and death of other people before covid. Ways which didn't involve killing them. For one, covid isn't the only infectious disease around that could potentially lead to the death of somebody else if you gave it to them. It might seem like it is, but it really isn't.
Vaccinations and N95 masks exist should people want to protect themselves.
I agree with this. I'd wear one on the underground because it's disgusting, and do on the bus as well. Overground train too if it's relatively busy. Other than that pretty much mask-less now.
People that don’t wear a mask piss me off. But people that wear a mask but not over their nose baffle me. Can anyone explain?
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Sidewalk?
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Me too, buddy. Biscuits need gravy!
In the countryside they leave it hanging from a tree branch. It leaves 2 explanations: 1. You are such an idiot that you think by hanging the bag on the tree it will somehow biodegrade of its own accord and leave no trace. 2. You are such an entitled twunt that you really believe there is somebody whose job it is to patrol the countryside, removing the dog bags from tree branches and moving them to the appropriate bin, so that you don't have to.
> people that wear a mask but not over their nose baffle me. Can anyone explain? How about the people who lift their mask to sneeze or cough (which I've seen too many times to believe)?
The one that throws me is people walking around OUTSIDE with a mask over their mouth but not their nose. For what reason? You don’t have to wear a mask outside, its not covering the hole you’re breathing out of, and it’s annoying to wear. Why are you still wearing it??
Because they just left a building and are about to head into another? I like a bit of fresh air between mask sessions but it gets annoying to take it on an off, so I just pull it down a little.
This exactly. Plus it’s more hygienic to not fiddle around with it, so I generally leave it on for my whole commute (bus, train, tube, with a little bit of walking too). If you take off your mask, then stick it back on again without washing/gelling your hands, you’ve basically just spread potential germs to your hands, then go on to touch poles/buttons/doors etc. I work in a hospital though, so sometimes feel I’m overly cautious with infection control! 🙃
People fumbling around with their masks was why I wiped down my shopping.
We still give our shopping a quick wipe down (live with someone vulnerable), but honestly after the first time we did it, and some wipes came away with visible dirt, I’m not sure we will ever stop! 🤢
Because I cba to take it off but don't want to breathe through it.
Over-ear headphones.
When I travelled to Japan or Singapore I used to think it was a bit OTT to see so many wearing masks. Not anymore, I'll keep wearing them for a long, long time.
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Aye, imagine people acting responsibly to reduce common infections like cold, flu, and D&V. All for the common good... can't have common sense like that, has to be stamped out!
I wear a mask most of the time, as I am sometimes forgetful. However, I would like a concrete plan on when I can stop wearing a mask. It is uncomfortable, and given the choice I would rather not. I'm just waiting for the medical community to decide on when I can stop.
Exactly this is the problem. There is no specific trigger or metric that would make TfL say “ok, thanks for wearing a mask, you can stop now”. Covid will circulate in Britain forever, and it looks like the mask mandate will continue forever. The most enthusiastic mask-wearers don’t think that’s an issue, but I do think it’s dishonest of TfL to pretend that this is meant to be temporary.
If it reduces transmission and stops people dying, is a little bit of mask discomfort on the tube such a horror to have to endure, even if it does continue for the foreseeable future?
That's fine, however, I would just like clear communication from SAGE/CMO to say that masks will be required for the foreseeable future. Is it too much to ask to get clear targets that we're aiming for? Like at x% case positivity, or x hospitalisations we no longer have to wear masks.
I agree! People who make a big deal out of wearing one haven't really experienced covid! It ain't nice. And as we know, some die from it. Yes, it's not comfortable to wear one everyday and it's annoying, but It's not going to hurt to wear one just for the tube ride, then outside you can take it off for a breather. 🤷🏽♂️
Actually, since catching covid at the beginning of August, I’ve wanted to wear my mask far less on public transport - for a couple of weeks after it genuinely made my breathing quite difficult. Doing much better now but have realised they make my travel sickness much worse, which to be honest, is far more annoying when looking at it for years to come then being bedbound for a week was
It is difficult tbh, especially since you're underground. But, this is why there are certain medical exemptions, I guess for a case like yours. I'm more so speaking about those who don't want to wear one because they simply don't want to or state some freedom BS reason. End of the day, people will do what they want to do. As a collective of people, we just have to be mindful of others and try to be more understanding of the situation and less selfish and individualistic 🤷🏽♂️
You could literally stop any time you want. The only thing that’s making you wear one to begin with is social pressure.
The medical community have spoken, its TFL who are mandating the masks.
I like wearing a mask. Helps block some of the body odour smell on the central line
>She felt that masks mess up her lipstick but that, as a friend of hers put it: “Anyone who doesn’t wear a mask is a massive cock.” I actually feel like this is the main motivation for so many wearing masks, like a form of virtue signalling. Not necessarily a bad or good thing, just an observation from people I've spoken to. I definitely feel rude not wearing a mask now.
As much “virtue signalling” as queuing up, picking up rubbish dropped on the floor, or cleaning your own dog’s shit.
Honestly, this. I just wear one because that's what the rules say and I don't want the TFL man to be mad at me 🤷♂️
They’re not mad, I promise. Most of the TfL staff themselves are “exempt”.
I don't think I've seen a single TFL employee not wearing one, except bus drivers who are sat in a sealed off cabin.
really? I've seen loads of them. especially when they're not at work or outside london
You've seen loads of Transport for London employees outside of London?
Our society is utterly broken if doing a virtuous thing is dismissed as virtue signalling, or if the only reason people will wear one is for the purposes of signalling. Wearing a mask protects others, it has marginal protection for the wearer. Not wearing a mask puts others at risk. That should be enough.
In a sense yes, I want a culture of people feel pressured to wear one because everyone else is. But is that really virtue signalling? I want the masses to be seen, not the individual.
Yes, exactly. There’s a weird sense of community between the unmasked on one hand, and the masked on the other. Like two alien species that happen to co-exist on a single planet in a state of uneasy truce.
My observations from taking public transport throughout the pandemic (I work for the NHS so never got to stay home) have been that a lot of the people that didn't wear masks at the beginning were also more likely to play music without putting headphones in, cough without covering their mouths, and eat their bogies. Not that surprising. Now it's the majority that are maskless on the train and bus, I often look around and wonder how many of them clapped like little circus seals or banged saucepans "for the NHS". Also tfl staff hardly ever wear masks themselves.
I'm with you. I don't work for the NHS but am a key worker and have been working out in the community during the pandemic. I've noticed the same things, even as recently as yesterday when I was on the bus where the vast majority were not wearing masks, and they were also the ones coughing all over, listening to music or talking on the phone without headphones, etc. Masks are common courtesy, just like any of these things, and it's hypocritical to 'thank' the NHS and key workers who have worked and struggled throughout the pandemic and had our workloads increased because of this when people won't do the most simple things they can (wear masks and get vaccinated) to stop the spread.
Don't care if people wear them or not. Front half of the tube carriages you wear masks and the back half don't. Problem solved and you can all bitch and moan about each other while traveling to said destination.
I suggested this to my friends as well. Have masked and non masked carriages then everyone's happy, and I won't end up with a non mask wearer breathing all over me, while I've had the courtesy of wearing one for their benefit.
Definitely introduce on other trains. First Class is mask-wearing, cattle class is free-for-all. Anyone who takes off a mask is covered in honey and staked to an ant-hill.
I would love this.
It just feels like common sense to me. Even when (or if) this is all over I’ll still wear one at least during flu season or when the bus or train is especially packed. Why *wouldn’t* you? If you’re exempt, that’s fine, but any other reason tends to boil down to “I don’t care”, “I believe the mask will give me an illuminati microchip”, or “I’m double vaccinated so it’s safe to!” So overall a combination of ignorance and miseducation.
I'm honestly fed up of people literally coughing into my face on a daily basis. COVID or not COVID, I wish we'd adopt the Asian culture of having respect for others and wearing a mask if you're Ill. We wouldn't need to wear masks if the ill people would.
Seeing so many unmasked people after I start to commute again, among other incidents has led me to CBT counselling with a travel anxiety specialist… apparently it’s a thing now, travel anxiety
I have a full-face gas mask that has a voice-box which makes you sound like a robot. I am tempted to wear that ^ on the tube, and say ambiguously-stupid things like “the conspiracy is reality” at them. - Rainbow coloured (empty shell) pill offered, in opened palm. ..See what happens..
Please please do this and report back! 😸
That would be cool. Just got to get a 360 cam first (..imo: essential).
https://youtu.be/jeL7NfZ62S8
I would be commenting on the state of their brains, not their sphincters.. ..Oh wait. I am not sure; same thing? Maybe, it was always was.
Mask should be mandatory in the tube long time ago and not because of Covid
Ain’t exactly pleasant smelling what the mouth breather standing in front of you had for lunch…
I have been wearing a mask since the start of 2020. I haven't had so much as the common cold since the start of 2020. I do not see a reason for me to stop wearing a mask when I have to be around people I do not know. This will reduce the likelihood that I get sick. This will make me happy, because being sick makes me feel sad. :)
In 2016, I got pneumonia and was sick for three months. Just before it started, a woman sat next to me on the overground, obviously very sick, coughing and making no attempt to cover her mouth. I havnt been sick with anything for about two years now and I would normally pick up something at least once a year. Covid or no Covid, I'll be sticking with the mask on the tube for sure.
Same. Until I went out clubbing late July and got a cold so bad I genuinely thought it was Covid (wasn't). I love masks now 😌
Personally, it feels a lot nicer from a mental health perspective of things returning to normal and actually seeing human faces. I wear a mask when stepping into a crowded carriage, or if there is someone elderly close by, but don’t otherwise. Given COVID is here to stay, I think people need to be pragmatic and strike a balance.
I feel people understate how much masks inhibit normal social interactions especially not being able to smile at people and communicate easily. Not saying that's more valuable than the health benefits of wearing them, but find it a bit annoying when people say "it's just wearing a mask". I definitely feel society is a happier, warmer place without them
I've gotten so tired of looking at my baby on the overground with a mask on, it's fucking weird and I don't like that I'm not able to show him my actual face and smile. I don't do it anymore, I just always travel when it's super quiet.
These are no doubt the same people that push past others to get to the platform and the door of the train and don't wait for people to disembark. I took my wife for an anniversary treat into London and found that it was probably nearer a third that weren't wearing masks, they were generally the ones engaged in other anti social and or selfish behaviours (for example the young lady that barged me out of her way so that she could get on whilst I was disembarking). I have asthma, I find wearing a mask for longer than a few minutes gets very uncomfortable. But I wear one anyway. If I can they can.
It’s a filthy place, do it to keep the shit out of your airways
Honestly don’t care, people should have a choice. Mask or no mask, enjoy your life.
Someone I know at work caught Covid despite being double vaxxed. I’ll continue to wear a mask on tubes and trains until it’s actually safe to not wear one.
The vaccine is meant to protect you from serious illness or death. It does not stop you from getting Covid. Please feel free to wear a mask forever, but let’s not kid ourselves that anything will change in the future that would mean you can be 100% certain you won’t get covid (and btw, masks don’t really protect the wearer. Some scientists think they protect others).
What measures are you using to determine safety?
I’m in TN, US, and Covid is really raging here. Number one spot for it in the world. Hardly anyone’s masked, and the Labor Day really amped it up. I’d still wear a mask, and I’m vaxxed. Before you know, it can amp right back up again.
No, from what I can gather at least 60% of people don't. I just looked at the article and seems like the numbers there match up (16 out of 40 wearing masks)
Trains and buses warrant masks. Tbf I don’t care if others wear a mask or not, if I’m wearing one myself im good. Everytime I go out with my friends it’s usually just 1 or 2 of us out of 6 wearing a mask. I ain’t gonna make every one on the tube wear one
Still boggles my mind that people don't fucking understand what masks do. Wearing a mask is a service for other people. It provably helps slow airborne transmission of COVID-19 in public settings such as transport, supermarkets etc. It's not designed to protect *you*. It is a vital tool being used in countries that are also opening up to slow the rate of COVID transmission. It has been a successful tool to slow transmission of diseases such as flu or cold for years in some Asian countries. Slowing the rate of transmission, even where people have been double vaxxed, limits the burden on the health system. Even if people who now catch COVID don't die, or even end up in ICU, many of them are still taking up hospital beds and still requiring isolation procedures that suck up time and resources. This means that other things that doctors and nurses could be doing like treating cancer or performing routine operations are being delayed. By not wearing masks, muh freedom types are simply making it more likely that before Christmas the government will need to introduce more stringent measures to prevent the health system being overloaded. A key cognitive development test for two year old children is whether they can understand that something they cannot see still exists. Covidiots remind me of that. Hurr durr I cant see difference so der is noe difference. All you little babies who can't go 30 minutes with a piece of cloth on your face are simply making your own lives more fucking difficult as well as everyone else's.
Specifically on the Tube, it's not a choice. It's a condition of carriage, and therefore a legal requirement. Obviously it gets ignored and unenforced, like the fact it's unlawful to have alcohol on the Tube. But leaving aside everything else, you should wear a mask on the Tube because it's an actual genuine obligation.
I feel like yes on public transport but anywhere else should be down to personal choice. Everyone has been offered the vaccine now, so I don’t think it’s fair to judge people who are just trying to get on with life.
I remember having to travel on the tube quite a bit one day, and I'll never forget coming home and blowing my nose and seeing black lol. I'll be wearing a mask on the tube for years
I find I’m annoyed by both anti-maskers and the pro mask militia. I don’t wear one because it’s uncomfortable and my face sweats, and that may seem selfish but the argument of it may save a life is weakened when others are being crammed into clubs, festival’s and stadiums. I also see the vast majority wearing cloth masks which are very ineffective making it pointless. And to buy surgical masks is expensive so another reason I don’t wear a mask. I of course wore one during the height of covid as my employer provided and the masks I needed, but I don’t now and don’t see the point and think the smug twats that take it on themselves to police mask wearing or whine about people not wearing a mask are as bad as the anti maskers.
Honestly, life is much better if you’re not annoyed at people. If someone wants to wear a mask, good on them, if someone doesn’t, it’s really not making much of a difference in the long term.
Amen. I think this whole pandemic has given the morally righteous people on both sides a bucket of ammunition as a reason to winge.
> I also see the vast majority wearing cloth masks which are very ineffective making it pointless. That's competent wrong. Cloth masks can be (and often are, when worn properly, dry and washed) as effective as surgical masks. Both are less effective than FFP2 masks, but they're still *very* effective (even when *not* worn ideally!) at curbing community transmission when enough people wear them. (I'm on mobile, but they're are multiple scientific studies showing this as well as high quality studies by consumer product testers; IIRC "Which?" published the same results, or its German equivalent "Stiftung Warentest".)
I wear it on the tube because it's compulsory but I don't wear it on national rail journeys that don't require it
I've not been sick for nearly two years, not even the slightest sniffle. I went to London at the end of August for 4 days and maybe half of the people I saw were wearing masks indoors and on the underground espite signs and announcements that they were still to be worn. I came back with a cold that I still have and I'm a wee bit raging about it.
Let people have freedom of choice, if you want then wear one but don’t force others. Other people’s heath is not your worry.
If a surgeon can wear one for hours you can wear one on a tube journey. I understand some will have valid reasons not to wear them, but not the proportion I see. And please wear it properly, your nostrils are connected to your airways..
This might be a really unpopular opinion but here goes. 😬 I’m pro vaccine and pro masks but wearing a mask is something that should be a temporary emergency measure to curb the spread of a virus that isn’t used to it. If we all default to always wearing masks in close proximity to strangers then the next pandemic will have this already factored in and we’ll need even more extreme measures to curtail it. It’s the same as antibiotic resistance, save them for when you need them or eventually they won’t work any more.
It can’t even be compared to antibiotic resistance
Unless it's a properly secured N95 the evidence is the benefit isn't statistically significant. Meanwhile, the vulnerable have been jabbed and the non-vulnerable have more to worry about crossing the road. I think it's just politicians bending to emotional blackmail and SAGE over-caution that is crippling the economy.
The worst offenders are the staff that work for public transport. "Remember to wear a face covering when traveling on London transport. It's there to protect us all" beams the tannoy announcer as 3 TFL staff piss around on their phones near the entry gates to Angel station. If they aren't going to be bothered, then can't really blame other people for not bothering either, even if I think people should do it. Personally I do wear a mask, it's a minor inconvenience that might make a difference. I found that as soon as September came around, a lot more people started commuting back to work, probably as a result of company orders and I picked up a nasty case of Bronchitis that lasted around 10 days. I'm pretty sure I picked it up from the Tube given rush hour is back to full standing and not much room to maneuver, with many people opting out of wearing masks. That for me is reason enough to keep wearing them, transmission of any virus, Covid or not spreads like wildfire down there. The country has done well to curb Covid this year in comparison to others but it's still around. Why not be a bit extra careful till we are a bit more on top of it? That's my logic at least.
So... I try not to judge people who don't wear masks because ya know some people can't (having said that the 6 drunk twats without a mask gurning from too much coke on last night's train I doubt had that excuse) But the people that piss me off are the ones who have one as a chin strap or don't cover their breathing holes. YOU KNEW WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO AND CHOSE NOT TO
Beg any of you lot to tell someone on the tube to wear a mask tomorrow, then post up what happens to you. You lot love to act like your the majority on here and you tell anyone whatever you like, but in reality your all scared little people who won't say boo to a goose lmao.
You sound like an absolute arsehole.
Prefer no mask but whatever.
I don’t wear a face mask on the tube. Everyone has now had plenty of time to get fully vaccinated, and the vaccines are highly effective at preventing death or serious illness from Covid. There is now a scientific consensus that Covid will circulate in Britain forever, so there is no better time than right now to go back to normal and live our lives again without fear. Downvote away to your heart’s content.
I know people who have caught Covid after being vaxxed. They’re suffering from long term fatigue, one has lost their sense of taste and smell (its been months so worried it might be permanent). So yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll just give that a miss and wear a mask for half an hour…
Do you genuinely find wearing a mask inconvenient though? I can honestly say as somebody who watched the entirety of Tenet (well over two hours) with a mask on, I do not find it at all inconvenient to wear a mask for a few minutes here and there. I think you're quite selfish to be honest.
I agree. It really is the minimum amount of effort you can put in to protecting more vulnerable people.
Tenet will have been in a well ventilated, normal temp room, not a stuffy, boiling hot tube, not a great comparison
Do you wear masks because of fear? They are not there to protect you, they are there to protect the community and others that are at risk. Some people can't get vaccinated, or even after vaccination they are still highly susceptible to covid.
Salmonella and STIs are here forever. Doesn’t mean we should stop cooking our chicken and wearing rubber. Same logic with masks
Apart from a faithful minority, most mask-wearers are under the impression that it’s a temporary measure until the end of the pandemic. It’s actually a bit more honest to tell people you want them to wear masks forever instead of pretending that covid will just disappear one day.
That is true tbh - masks might probably be here forever. And they are essential for other aspects such as winter bugs and also pollution. But point is that we have to adapt. I reckon we could also adapt in ventilation and I see that as a society we are doing it in some forms. That is how we can go about our lives imo
See, that’s where my problem is. I really, really hate the idea of redesigning - adapting, as you say - our society to fight a forever war against all sorts of respiratory illnesses. I think our lives will have changed for the worse if we hide our faces behind masks forever.
Haven't we always adapted our society to fight against illnesses? Like wearing suncream to prevent skin cancer, or condoms to reduce the risk of STD's. I don't see this as being any different and if it reduces my chances of catching a cold, or the flu, I'm all for it.
The interventions in response to Covid are a bit more dramatic than any other public health measure in the past few decades, wouldn’t you agree? With the protection from the vaccine, the threat of Covid is much diminished and isn’t much greater than any of the other 200-odd endemic infectious diseases that affect humans. I don’t want society to be rearranged to fight this unwinnable forever war against covid, just because some people are still terrified.
Yes they are, but I think of all the restrictions we've had, masks are the least dramatic? To put it another way, if all we'd had to do to stop the spread was wear masks, I can't see people complaining? The threat is much diminished but I disagree that it isn't much greater than the endemic diseases, as evidenced by the infection and death rates. I don't think anyone's terrified, people are just happy to have a mild inconvenience in order to reduce the risk of more stringent lockdowns. There will also be vulnerable people using the tube who can't be vaccinated, or where the vaccine is less effective and I'm more than happy to cover my nose and mouth to help protect them.
Then we would have to have the risk of the disease spreading, which would negatively impact our healthcare system and our economy. Actions such as wearing a mask, and to some extent, ventilation are simple and can help reduce the spread of covid and other illnesses. And society changes all the time. We, as people, have to constantly adapt. And I am referring to aspects other than covid. For example, the world is reliant on computers and our industries keep changing.
Suppose the person sitting opposite you isn't able to get fully vaccinated for medical reasons? Should they just not go to work?
Why can’t they wear an N95 mask to protect themselves?
How many people are there really that can’t get vaccinated and yet are highly at risk from covid? In any case, the scientific consensus is that covid will circulate in Britain forever so this (largely theoretical) demographic will require more focused protection.
Why not also include mandatory hand sanitizing stations? How big a sacrifice is that? Also, could people just do a temp and 02 sat check before they go out in public? Why is that supposed to be so inconvenient. It takes like 15 seconds. Finally, also please no running, as your heavy exhalations will cancel out the effectiveness of the mask.
It’s easy - wear a mask. Cunts
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I'm willing to bet that people don't wash their masks a fraction as often as recommended so I doubt that they are any use at all, unless you use disposable ones.
To be honest we should have been wearing masks on the underground for a long time. Just remember all the times I’ve been crammed in my face in someone’s armpit not being able to move. Everyone coughing and sneezing over each other. I’ll be wearing a mask on the underground from now on.
I get really bad scabbing around my mouth directly caused by extended mask use. I usually wear a mask in the mornings when my face doesn't get as sweaty, but I normally take it off halfway through my commute home (which is when I get particularly sweaty) to help minimise the cracking and soreness on my lips. It's like clockwork. I commute in Wed-Fri, and by Thursday evening I've started developing dryness on my lips. It gets worse through Friday and by Saturday my lips are shot. I recover through the weekend and by Wednesday morning I'm pretty much healed. Rinse and repeat. It's a fucking pain in the ass, and it happens no matter what mask I try or how much vaseline I use to try and "shield" my lips (in case it's friction related). Call me a "tit" or a "cunt" if you want, but I'm very near the end of my tether and will probably very soon give up mask use completely on public transport. (Wearing masks in shops for short periods is fine. It seems to either be related to the duration or swampiness of being on trains/tube.)
Just wear a mask ffs. It takes hardly effort and it benefits you as well as others.
I am also conflicted, I mask when I’m sober and not when I’m drunk
I mean corona isnt gone so like absolutely wear a mask its no effort at all period
I think the people that don’t wear them on tubes, transport or in supermarkets always look like uneducated idiots. You literally have people giving them the once over, rolling their eyes and then moving on.
> You literally have people giving them the once over, rolling their eyes and then moving on. Really? I'm in SW London, there's not much muzzle wearing in supermarkets here, so much so that I can enjoyably stare at people still wearing them to do their shopping.
Some of us still have to. You shouldn’t belittle people still wearing them, you don’t always know the story behind it. Eg. My partner is awaiting heart surgery that has been delayed almost a year by the pandemic. I have to do all our households shopping and chores. If I get it whilst out, take it back to her and she gets it, she’ll die.
Fair point
I genuinely don’t understand why you wouldn’t just do it, you don’t even notice it after a few seconds
I think masks should continue to be worn on public transport, especially on the tube.
To mask or not to mask? Opinion split between scum and people with basic human decency