Why won’t people wear masks

Sorry but I disagree. If you want to wear a mask that is your choice if you think it will protect you. Not right to ask anyone else to do so. I would never cough and splutter over people anyway.

I absolutely agree with mask wearing to reduce risk of repiratory transmitted infections .I was getting upset with others failures to wear a mask as they cough but this was my problem so I wear the mask . I wear the mask in shopping areas , all public transport , when I go to exercise in a shed with others , when I visit my granddaughter and sometimes I apologise and put it on in front of people who I realise might be infective .

Masks DO work - but in varying degrees depending on the type.

If they did not afford some protection (in both directions) then surgeries and hospital departments would not be asking people to wear them if they have a cold.

sewingnan

Nandalot, I understand your fear, getting older I worry about going down with a nasty virus. As a worker throughout Covid I saw the best and worst in people’s attitudes and behaviours. Also colleagues who came to work despite being ill. Unfortunately these bugs are crafty little devils and often spread before we even notice but agree that to go out when knowing you are in the stage of feeling ill is very selfish to others especially in hospitals and shops. I remember seeing one very sick familiar person in a shop with their scarf wrapped around their face and they said they had just been diagnosed with Covid and told to isolate so were popping by the supermarket to stock up on meds and food before doing so!! rarely are there no relatives or friends who could have shopped, I could not grasp the selfishness towards shop workers and others including me because I got Covid shortly after the encounter. Wearing masks is a difficult one when most are ineffective unless changed constantly which healthcare professionals usually do but the public reuse the same old grubby one harbouring lots of germs I’m sure.

It's not an easy situation for someone who has just realised/been told to isolate. It is very much a "swings and roundabouts" situation.

Yes - people who know for a fact they are ill should "isolate" themselves on the one hand.

On the other hand - it may be literally impossible for them to do so. They may live on their own, not want to put other people out to do their shopping for them (or not have anyone they can ask). If they are "on their own" in every sense of the word = there can be practical difficulties. When I've decided I'm too ill to go out = I had that one time recently and I managed it because I've got a computer and could "shop" from Amazon. The expensive aspect was things like - having to buy butter in those tiny little packs hotels use (as Amazon has no normal blocks of butter I could find), having to use plant milk instead of normal milk totally (good job it's something I sometimes use anyway), bread dearer than normal (and that's when I eat local artisan bread anyway - so it ain't cheap) and the fresh fruit was expensive and not very good.

If one doesnt have Amazon or couldnt find the extra money to cover those extra charges - then what? Yep...I tried to do an online delivery from Tesco - and was tossing up whether there would be any "today" slots left or whether I'd have to make do with a "tomorrow" slot - but couldnt basically get a delivery slot for at least several days (I'd be pretty hungry by then). The question was academic anyway - as I couldnt negotiate my way through their website anyway - as it was so badly designed one would need better computer skills than I have to manage to get through it.

So - yep....given I won't ask other people for favours if I can help it = I only managed because:

- I have a computer and enough knowledge of it to use Amazon and pay their extra charges I had to pay because of their dearer food (nope a lot of us aren't in one of the areas of the country the one and only supermarket they liaise with won't deliver to us).

- Being in remote Wales and this not being my "home" location (which is much more convenient to live in) and the weather here is noticeably worse than my own = I keep a well-stocked freezer and larder because of the number of things I can't get here and I won't go out in some of the worst weather (as I'm not used to getting absolutely drenched or blown to heck and so it's taxis or stay in for me when it's like that).

Thank goodness one supermarket (ie Tesco) is working on having a pretty instant food delivery order across the country bit by bit (we've not got it yet - and the "Where are our usual facilities/the ones people elsewhere have?" sentiments popping up on local Facebook to give them a kick up the backside to get a move on with it have started) - and let's just hope they improve their darn website..so we can all access it.

Sooze58

Following Covid it was proven that masks did not work. What should happen is that people who have colds etc. should stay away from people. I’m 68 and I was always brought up to do that. Common courtesy.

Quite! That sums it all up neatly. Recognising fact on the one hand and being considerate on the other hand.

NotSpaghetti

sazzl - on hard surfaces like ceramic, stainless steel, and plastic, norovirus can remain infectious for up to 2 weeks. It won't just be on the mug, it will be everywhere that hasn't been baked or bleached, or in a dishwasher on a "hot" cycle (ie over 60⁰).

There is a big difference between a viral particle being alive on a surface and being viable. A virus does not remain on the surface, fit and ready to go for a fortnight and on midnight on the 14th day turn up its tiny toes and expire, like any other living thing left on a hard surface without sustenance for 2 weeks it gradually weakens and dies and in the weakening period its capacity to infect declines.

Again it can remain infectious for 2 weeks. That is the absolute extreme, the vast majority of viral particles die well before then. Only the very very hardiest is likely to survive a fortnight and bounce up and infect someone, unless they too are very severely immune compromised.

Yes, individuals that are immune compromised must be careful, and so must places, like hospitals and medical facilities but we do need to keep a sense of proportion and consider the probabilities.

Later this morning, when I go shopping I cross the road outside my home, a car could appear from nowhere driving too fast, and knock me over and kill me. Unlikely but possible. The same applies to these extreme events, when one viral particle remains alive and after 13 days 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds is touched by someone, immediately revitalises and goes on to make them ill, still more unlikely kill or severe disable them.

By the way, no one seems to have mentioned those who cannot wear masks. DH has breathing difficulties without a mask. Wearing a mask is impossible as they make his breathing even more difficult.

Nandalot, I understand your fear, getting older I worry about going down with a nasty virus. As a worker throughout Covid I saw the best and worst in people’s attitudes and behaviours. Also colleagues who came to work despite being ill. Unfortunately these bugs are crafty little devils and often spread before we even notice but agree that to go out when knowing you are in the stage of feeling ill is very selfish to others especially in hospitals and shops. I remember seeing one very sick familiar person in a shop with their scarf wrapped around their face and they said they had just been diagnosed with Covid and told to isolate so were popping by the supermarket to stock up on meds and food before doing so!! rarely are there no relatives or friends who could have shopped, I could not grasp the selfishness towards shop workers and others including me because I got Covid shortly after the encounter. Wearing masks is a difficult one when most are ineffective unless changed constantly which healthcare professionals usually do but the public reuse the same old grubby one harbouring lots of germs I’m sure.

And far from the covid 'being gone' this was last year.

Even some of the hosp nurses also had colds at times,(before& after the covid incident) and i asked them to wear masks, as i was awaiting that op! I explained i didnt want to take extra risks. I asked that should they be working if theyre ill- and was told that they are STILL expected to come to work.Which seems a risky & stupid idea to me.

LaCrepescule,once she had already started coughing over him it was already too late😐

Fallingstar-we had been so careful and yet while i was in hospital a man came in coughing and hacking all the time,out of his door (despite him having his own room where he could have closed the door.) He also kept walking up & down coughing over everywhere,yet still going out for smoking,so spreading germs everywhere.I complained but they more or less implied i should expect that in hospital. But in the end i was proved right, as i'd got so bad and ill they tested me (and others) and we had caught covid! None of us others had a cough before that man came in- I, and others, had to have our heart bypass operations set back and i was livid- i had warned them over him and was ignored! I know he started it as he too had a sticker on the door as we had to be quarantined.

I do think people should be more aware and considerate of the dangers of viruses, their ease of spread and the risks to others. After all it not as if we are not all aware of the previous pandemic and the potential of another being around the corner.
In my experience when care agencies are given a new client, they are risk assessed and normally made aware of the clients health needs and status; immune suppressed, cancer etc. For that reason it is reasonable to expect the carers to wear masks.
Let’s have some common sense here….

Yes, just wear a mask when you go out. Problem solved. Your husband could just have asked this person not to cough all over him. Why didn’t he? That’s the issue here.

Better still ask her manager not to send her again

Don’t be ridiculous

undines

This is why thinking people do not wear those cloth masks.
1). They do not work - obviously. You can blow through them, you can see smoke coming through them - the fibres are too far apart to stop the majority of the bacteria
2) They increase the possibility of infection/worsening infection for the person wearing them, because the moisture they collect incubates the bacteria they do catch.
3). They induce a sense of fear in the populace. Anyone would think it was the Black Death! Fear is bad for the health and general wellbeing (but very good for control by the Government, which is a whole other story...)
4) This is less well known but worth reflecting on - people whose immune systems are in good condition do not catch bugs. This was confirmed in a study at the University of Maryland, where healthy people kept in close proximity with flu sufferers did not catch flu (this was also attributed to fresh air). Louis Pasteur is reported to have said, close to death, that it was the 'field' that matters, in other words where the infection plants itself.
The moral of this is do not blame other people if you catch infections - look after your immune system with vitamins, fresh air, sleep and all the usual. Obviously if you are immune-compromised then you need to take special care.
Having said all of this, it is very rude to sneeze over anyone, and if you have a cold you should keep your bodily fluids to yourself! Yuk!

According to AI -

While a strong immune system is critical for fighting off infections, scientific consensus and specific research from the University of Maryland (UMD) clarify that it does not prevent you from "catching" a virus in the first place.

Exposure vs. Illness:
You "catch" a bug (infection) the moment a pathogen enters your body and begins to replicate. A strong immune system determines how quickly you clear that infection and whether you develop symptoms (illness), but it doesn't create a physical forcefield that prevents the virus from entering your system.

The "Flu Room" Study (2026):
Researchers at the UMD School of Public Health conducted a trial where healthy volunteers stayed in a room with people actively sick with the flu. Surprisingly, none of the healthy volunteers caught the flu.

The Actual Finding:
This wasn't because of "superior immune systems." It was due to environmental factors: the room had excellent ventilation and air mixing, which kept the viral load in the air too low to trigger an infection.

... good that you mentioned the fresh air - almost as an afterthought!

undines

This is why thinking people do not wear those cloth masks.
1). They do not work - obviously. You can blow through them, you can see smoke coming through them - the fibres are too far apart to stop the majority of the bacteria
2) They increase the possibility of infection/worsening infection for the person wearing them, because the moisture they collect incubates the bacteria they do catch.
3). They induce a sense of fear in the populace. Anyone would think it was the Black Death! Fear is bad for the health and general wellbeing (but very good for control by the Government, which is a whole other story...)
4) This is less well known but worth reflecting on - people whose immune systems are in good condition do not catch bugs. This was confirmed in a study at the University of Maryland, where healthy people kept in close proximity with flu sufferers did not catch flu (this was also attributed to fresh air). Louis Pasteur is reported to have said, close to death, that it was the 'field' that matters, in other words where the infection plants itself.
The moral of this is do not blame other people if you catch infections - look after your immune system with vitamins, fresh air, sleep and all the usual. Obviously if you are immune-compromised then you need to take special care.
Having said all of this, it is very rude to sneeze over anyone, and if you have a cold you should keep your bodily fluids to yourself! Yuk!

So if I get ill it’s my fault?

kircubbin2000

I've never worn a mask and don't intend to now.

How selfish.

This is why thinking people do not wear those cloth masks.
1). They do not work - obviously. You can blow through them, you can see smoke coming through them - the fibres are too far apart to stop the majority of the bacteria
2) They increase the possibility of infection/worsening infection for the person wearing them, because the moisture they collect incubates the bacteria they do catch.
3). They induce a sense of fear in the populace. Anyone would think it was the Black Death! Fear is bad for the health and general wellbeing (but very good for control by the Government, which is a whole other story...)
4) This is less well known but worth reflecting on - people whose immune systems are in good condition do not catch bugs. This was confirmed in a study at the University of Maryland, where healthy people kept in close proximity with flu sufferers did not catch flu (this was also attributed to fresh air). Louis Pasteur is reported to have said, close to death, that it was the 'field' that matters, in other words where the infection plants itself.
The moral of this is do not blame other people if you catch infections - look after your immune system with vitamins, fresh air, sleep and all the usual. Obviously if you are immune-compromised then you need to take special care.
Having said all of this, it is very rude to sneeze over anyone, and if you have a cold you should keep your bodily fluids to yourself! Yuk!

sazzl - on hard surfaces like ceramic, stainless steel, and plastic, norovirus can remain infectious for up to 2 weeks. It won't just be on the mug, it will be everywhere that hasn't been baked or bleached, or in a dishwasher on a "hot" cycle (ie over 60⁰).

Probably Renatal1079, to prevent hair, spittle getting into wounds.

Tenko

Renata1079

If face masks are useless, why is it that operating theatre staff have ALWAYs worn masks when they are hovering over vulnerable patients with open wounds?

In healthcare , staff know the correct way to wear a mask, so that nose and mouth are covered , plus masks are single use and are changed after each patient .

They are also much larger and cover more of the face.

MayBee70

Chatted with a neighbour today who told me she always wears a mask when she goes into town on the bus so I might join her. This actually reminds me of post referendum comments such as you lost get over it and if you don’t like the result go and live somewhere else .

I thought similarly but decided not to mention that .

Equating a public-health issue with Western democracy being under some kind of threat is a tad far-fetched.

... as was the post-referendum 'advice' - which completely missed the point.

2507C0

People in this country are selfish, that's why they don't wear masks. They are also dirty. They go into shops, hospitals to visit and other places when they have respiratory illnesses such as colds and coughs or worse. They wipe noses with soggy tissues and then touch everything without a thought or care. Nobody washes their hands properly if at all, even after going to the loo. As the pp above said, get yourselves FPP2 or 3 masks and carry hand gel. You most certainly cannot rely on other people to be concerned about anybody else's health or vulnerability. We have turned into a nation of lazy, selfish, yucky people.

You're making umpteen unsubstantiated claims about the entire population, that might well be true of some you've encountered, but it's a gross generalisation aimed at 70 million people. Along with another inane assertion "nobody washes their hands properly if at all" Well I for one am scrupulous about hand washing. I would never knowingly take a cold out and about.

Yes I know there is this one effective mask that the vulnerable can wear, but as everybody has said generally the others are not effective so why call everyone selfish for not wearing them. The surgical masks we all had during Covid, were really only ever supposed to be used once. The way filthy used ones were discarded and strewn all over the place, instead of being binned, well that was disgusting imo.

A ppf2 or 3 mask will keep the vast majority of air born droplets from entering your nose or mouth. It's about viral load as well as simply viruses. There're also NoroZite nasal and throat sprays that have been proven to be effective in protecting against respiratory infections (by Oxfords University I believe).