Will you continue to wear a mask in public after Jan 27th?

[Ari]

nick30 said:

TDK-C60 said:

It does finally appear that the impact of the pandemic on society s coming to an end for most thankfully - I'm hardly wearing a mask at all now in day to day situations.

Masks had a role but will increasingly be a thing of the past, fingers crossed.

Thanks to the majority that acted responsibly, took precautions, got jabbed and wore a mask now and then - a worse outcome was avoided.

It won't stop history remembering anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers being at odds with the science and evidence, but hopefully they will be able to give up their obsession with conspiracy theories, Some will still go on QT to tell everyone they did philosophy at uni and something something appeal to authority wibble.

I hope everyone "gets better" soon.

Your first two paragraphs started well but then you turned into the same old repeatabot. Eject.

You just have to believe. brother.

It works for TDK.

[Ari]

21TonyK said:

No, you just don't like hearing things that don;t fit with your limited perspective on things.

Oh well. No skin off my nose.

Yet again, no actual debate.

At least your mate TDK makes an effort to come up with numbers, even if they are nonsense (his 'facts' are being politely taken apart yet again in the 'Is the cure worse than the disease' thread right now). He's a True Believer.

[Ari]

21TonyK said:

Debate what? I asked a queston follwed by a factual statement. All I got then was the normal abusive comments based on unrelated assumptions that fit the posters views.

The problem with forums is that it's all written down, so it's easy to see what you said, which was this:

21TonyK said:

Well there you go. Two ill informed, overly vocal posters spouting off about something they have no knowledge of.

Well done.

[Ari]

S600BSB said:

dxg said:

Given that Omicron has a virility around the same as a bad cold, I often wonder what the comparative figures would be for "having a cold." And, yes, I know there's no such thing as the common cold, but I do suspect that the "common cold" is more widespread yet we don't take the same precautions.

You make a fair point. But I don't want Omi or a bad cold thanks very much - stop me working! Taking a few sensible precautions in crowded indoor spaces seems a small price to pay tbh.

Fair enough, but wearing a 'face covering' isn't a 'sensible precaution'.

They don't work. The data on that is in, and it's quite clear.

[Ari]

S600BSB said:

Respect your right to your own opinion mate, but I think that is rubbish - particularly in the case of Omicron which seems to transmit more via aerosol than droplet.

Anyway, I am happy to do my bit to protect people from the risk I might be positive and hope others will do the same for me. My experience is that most people are sensible and will think about others when in crowded indoor spaces. Obviously different outside etc.

I have managed to avoid Covid so far and won't change until I consider the risk to be low enough to do so. Let's hope that is soon as I actually hate wearing the things!

It's not 'an opinion'.

We brought in a mask mandate for 65 million people in the UK and it made no difference!

A year later we dropped the mandate for 50 million of them and kept it for the others. The 50 million went on to have a lower infection rate per 100,000 than the 65 million!

That's what happened! Those are facts, not opinions.

Even a government study set up specifically to justify forcing face masks on school children failed to do so. And you know what? They carried on making kids wear them in school anyway, which just proves that this was never about whether they work or not, it was all just all theatre.

If you hate wearing the things, just stop. It will make no difference.

[Ari]

dave_s13 said:

Ari said:

S600BSB said:

Respect your right to your own opinion mate, but I think that is rubbish - particularly in the case of Omicron which seems to transmit more via aerosol than droplet.

Anyway, I am happy to do my bit to protect people from the risk I might be positive and hope others will do the same for me. My experience is that most people are sensible and will think about others when in crowded indoor spaces. Obviously different outside etc.

I have managed to avoid Covid so far and won't change until I consider the risk to be low enough to do so. Let's hope that is soon as I actually hate wearing the things!

It's not 'an opinion'.

We brought in a mask mandate for 65 million people in the UK and it made no difference!

A year later we dropped the mandate for 50 million of them and kept it for the others. The 50 million went on to have a lower infection rate per 100,000 than the 65 million!

That's what happened! Those are facts, not opinions.

Even a government study set up specifically to justify forcing face masks on school children failed to do so. And you know what? They carried on making kids wear them in school anyway, which just proves that this was never about whether they work or not, it was all just all theatre.

If you hate wearing the things, just stop. It will make no difference.

This was also demonstrated in different states in the USA I think. It's a compelling argument and one I've yet to be convinced of otherwise.

So yeah.... totally agree.

Indeed. And what's really interesting is that no one has yet come up with a counter version - look at Country X, infections fell 25% after a mask mandate was brought in, or look at Country Y, infections exploded after the mask mandate was dropped.

So plenty of evidence that it doesn't work, none at all in the real world that it does, but plenty of 'belief'.

Ah well, I guess it's how religion has continued for so long in the absence of any real evidence.

I wonder whether they'll ever stop..?

[Ari]

dave_s13 said:

Doing it to protect others, by definition, suggests those that don't are uncaring.

That was all part of the (very successful, it has to be said) 'nudge' propaganda.

A little like labelling anyone with doubts about the new vaccine an 'anti vaxxer', or anyone questioning the lockdowns a 'covid denier', it made it very easy to label anyone questioning the face coverings as selfish. It all works to twist public sentiment in the direction required by The Narrative.

So many people really have been remarkably compliant about all of this, must have been quite an eye opener for the government.

[Ari]

S600BSB said:

Vanden Saab said:

S600BSB said:

Vanden Saab said:

No wonder you are still wearing a mask if you think that it is like being transported back to 2020...FFS...

Bizarre comment mate, but I really can't be arsed to argue with you!

I am not surprised as you would lose comprehensively and would have done for at least a year and a half. Let me be clear, Covid is spread mainly by aerosol. It always has. If you read back through this thread you will see the evidence from as far back as May 2020 that confirms this...
I could post up some of the many studies that confirm that but I doubt it would make any difference to your fixed view and I really cannot be bothered to do it again. Enjoy your mask

Haha. You need to get off the keyboard and get a life mate!

Well, it's as strong as any other argument for wearing a mask I guess...

[Ari]

Sainsburys this morning. Face-covering Faithful are down to about 85%, saving the planet one fetid scrap of Esty fashion mask at a time.

It's progress I guess, but some of these people are going to be wearing these things for ever I suspect...

[Ari]

S600BSB said:

Everyone should stop judging others - we make our own decisions regarding what's best for our communities, family, self etc.

So I wore a mask on Friday night at the theatre in Leeds (along with 75% plus of the audience), then at the supermarket on Sat morning and on the train up to Edinburgh for the rugby, but didn't bother outside in the actual stadium for the match. I have also done a couple of LFTs since Thurs. We should all do our own assessment of risk, act accordingly and not judge.

Thankfully the infection rate is falling, but still nearly 900 per 100,000 where I am in the North.

That's a great idea, actually look at the facts and make a proper assessment.

It would save you a fortune in 'face coverings'

[Ari]

S600BSB said:

Don't really know what you mean by that mate. Who wants to catch any virus? I certainly buy an annual flu jab and will continue to do so in the future. As I said before on the thread, I hope everyone takes a bit more notice of personal hygiene and space in future as a result of the pandemic.

Ah, understood. I assumed the mask thing was something new since the Covid thing, but if you're also concerned about Flu, you've presumably been wearing masks in supermarkets for many years?

You know, what with your our own assessment of risk, acting accordingly and all that?

[Ari]

hyphen said:

Ari said:

Sainsburys this morning. Face-covering Faithful are down to about 85%, saving the planet one fetid scrap of Esty fashion mask at a time.

It's progress I guess, but some of these people are going to be wearing these things for ever I suspect...

How were the staff? As in my nearby Sainsburys and Waitrose I have noticed that despite the company coming out for masks, they aren't enforcing their own staff who are 50-50.

Vast majority were not bothering at all. Maybe 5% of the staff were peering over their bits of Esty cloth, the rest were just getting on with their life and their work.

[Ari]

Lotusgone said:

I agree with Ari. Where were your masks when, in 2019, over 26000 died of flu & pneumonia in the UK? (Office of National Statistics, if you're interested)

Exactly!

But of course mask wearing wasn't a religion in 2019, if you'd suggested wearing one in a supermarket back then, all the people wearing them now would have been baffled at the notion.

Incredible how easily lead some people are.

[Ari]

Nickgnome said:

Live and learn . Unlike some.

Now will you stop with your inane comments to those who do not hold the same view as you.

The needle of my irony meter just snapped!

[Ari]

Biker 1 said:

I had an interesting discussion with a relative last night over supper. She said she was only carrying on with the mask theatrics in supermarkets to 'reassure others who are obviously scared', despite the fact that she is triple vaxxed & had covid over Christmas so highly unlikely to be a super spreader. I asked how long she would continue but the answer was 'when everybody else stops wearing them'.
This going round in circles with some piece of old rag on your bonce is getting somewhat ridiculous now.

This is the most bizarre of all the myriad of mask wearer's 'logic', it makes no sense whatsoever! What's more reassuring to the 'obviously scared', everyone masked up like we're living in a horror movie, or people happily going about their normal business in a normal way?

It is astonishing the mental gymnastics some people achieve to justify carrying on the mask pantomime.

The psychology of the committed masker is truly fascinating.

[Ari]

monthou said:

Right now I'd say my supermarket behaviour is driven more by manners than anything else. I appreciate that makes me a sheeple in some eyes, but as I say I can live with that. Hey-ho.

When you say 'manners', you mean just copying everyone else to fit in?

Remarkable.

[Ari]

Brave Fart said:

This "I'll do what others are doing" reasoning is something I often hear. As you say, it makes no sense. Because unless the large majority of mask wearers spontaneously decide to stop wearing them, it'll never end.

It's also rather disappointing. Whatever happened to thinking for yourself?

Now that there is no mandate, and of course still no proof that they are in any way effective or beneficial, this seems to be the fallback justification to carrying on anyway.

Some people really do love their little masks.

[Ari]

Roderick Spode said:

Chief Mammy Sturgeon continues to keep us all masked up north of the wall. The vast majority I see out and about are of the token cloth/scarf/snood/rag variety, probably 25% blue medical style masks, and the remaining few percent are the proper bells and whistles N95 fitted types. Given the demographics of face coverings on offer, I'd tentatively aver that the vast majority have no beneficial effect whatsoever. I'd love to see the study data that shows a positive impact of wrapping a bit of Auntie Flo's curtains around your mush. The mask mandates will persist, because Television's Nicola Sturgeon must show how much more virtuous and considerate she is than those nasty Tories. Face coverings are purely a symbol of righteousness now, nothing to do with science.

Exactly this, and it's so obvious.

These masks remind me of Baby On Board signs on cars. They seem like a really good safety measure, provided you apply no actual thought process whatsoever.

People seem to like 'em though. Oh well.

[Ari]

CrutyRammers said:

I see the argument from some of the mask lovers is now shifting to a sort of victimhood, now that they no longer have the rules to hide behind. Don't belittle us, don't judge us. After the self same people have spent months belittling people, judging them, and worse, demanding punitive action against them. Consequences are so much more fun when they affect others, aren't they?

Ironic isn't it?

This new 'manners' thing is hilarious. Thousands of people wrapping bits of fetid cloth across their faces for no other reason than wanting to follow the herd, and all justifying it in their heads as being 'polite'.

Honestly, you couldn't make it up.

Just get on with your lives, it's done now. The masks never worked anyway, move on.

[Ari]

monthou said:

Ari said:

This new 'manners' thing

It's not new.

Manners might not be, strapping a bit of fetid cloth across your fizzog and claiming it's 'manners', that most definitely is.