Masks - yes or no?

Must admit some times I'm incoherent, depends on the alcohol intake, I do get bad tempered from time to time, not sure if I've ever been splenetic.
I'll look that one up later.

 

Was reading through this thread in an idle moment and thought I'd offer an answer to a question you had some time back, Simon. I was in China for work a bit last year, and took the opportunity at weekends and with some annual leave to travel around for pleasure too. Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an mainly, with a few small towns in between. Purely anecdotal evidence, but they don't really wear masks much that I noticed. Certainly more than in the UK, but I only noticed masks on people walking, cycling or motorcycling in cities, I guess because of pollution. Some street vendors too, presumably for the same reason. Maybe a few more on the underground than in the UK but not many. Definitely nobody wearing them indoors in restaurants, shops, bars, offices or conference centres.

So that might be why it didn't slow COVID spread so much - from what I saw Chinese people weren't wearing masks for anti-virus purposes any more than we were here pre-COVID, even if they wore then more for anti-pollution purposes

 

I already worry about those people using masks who think it's OK to get right in your face, when many don't use them properly/safely, or might even think it OK to go out when they should be isolating, because they've got the false impression that their mask will prevent contagion.

 

All of the above are about human error though aren't they, not problems inherent to the asks themselves. I completely agree. I worry too. And about the oft-heard complaint that apparently seeing someone in a mask makes others subconsciously get closer because they think it makes it safer. I amabsolutely baffled as to why that would be so - as I've said before, every time I see a mask it remindsme of the seriousness of this, and I find myself edging away, not towards them! I think there is a need for more education and public info on this, as otherwise misuse and misunderstanding could cause problems. But again, I still don't see these as reasons to discourage wearingthem, it would be like frowningon kitchen knives because some people have accidents with them or worse.

 

Yes, that's what's lacking at the moment.

Plus enforcement, but the problem with that is being threatened, as is happening to shop staff in the UK attempting to enforce distancing, or even worse French bus driver dies following attack by passengers who refused to wear masks

Supermarket staff wont say boo to somebody taking 24 items through an 8 item express checkout, so just who is going to enforce this instore?

 

We have the Gestapo outside the one I go to.
He has a clicker, and he counts you in and counts you out.

Trouble is he's usually far too busy,......talking to his mate

 

And they're both getting in the way of shoppers going in and coming out? And nothing happens about flouting of rules inside? Sounds like what happens at most places.

 

Yeah, you just need to accept it and get on with things.

 

That's probably because we're not scientists and most of us don't have first hand experience from a medical point of view Simon. Whether we wear a mask or not there are so many different ways we can pick up the virus through touch. It's impossible to sanitise everything.

 

You should have been a university lecturer.

 

Simon. I am attracted to your comments. May I respectfully enquire as to your professional status?