Will you return to Covid restrictions and mask wearing?

[nisosbar]

I'd rather wear a mask when necessary than going back to full, or even partial, lockdowns.

Having asthma I prefer trying not to catch respiratory diseases at all. If a mask helps even a tiny bit I'm all for it.

I also noticed when there are no mask requirements and you wear one people stay away from you a tad more, it's a win-win really

Yeah, I just made the same point - masks are good at making people avoid you, and at diverting their attention to the unmasked.

 

[mack341]

Would a successful, effective vaccine lead to results like this?

[I must admit I'm surprised by the total number of covid deaths: 8,000 plus for 2023, you wouldn't know by the news and we're still in august.]

 

[Guntis]

My GF works in NHS, she's vaccinated and had COVID 7 or 8 times during all this time. When she had that so-called covid she looked like she just had a bit of temperature, nothing else, similar to what one experiences with a common cold. We live together and i never caught anything from her. I'm not vaccinated. For masks, i used to wear them only in places where they were mandatory (shops, public transport, etc.) and in situations when it made sense to have one on.

As for the patients in her hospital, the ones who were dying were generally those who had 10 minutes to live anyway.

 

[mina1929]

We are are still wearing masks in most Aged Care Facilities in Australia but only until next month I am hoping.

I don't see the point as most of us don't wear it properly and forget to put it on at times, people are over it as it has been too long now. Most of our residents had Covid and recovered well, no deaths.

I believe in freedom of choice, wear a mask, get vaccinated if you want and if not that's fine too. Everyone is different and I respect that

 

[lockinlove]

FWIW I've never stopped wearing a mask when I'm anywhere near the public -- certified N95 masks -- or when I need to be near persons outside my household, and have continued to restrict my contact with other people to an absolute minimum. No public events, no public spaces, no gatherings, etc etc. Anything coming into the house -- groceries included -- either gets scrubbed down or quarantined for two weeks.

In the neighbourhood where I lived during the first couple years of Covid I saw WAY too many people in the area leaving their homes in ambulances or hearses -- it was an area with a significant elderly population -- to brush Covid off as so many people seem eager to.

Yeah, I know, I'm Mr. Covid Paranoid but it ain't over yet as far as I'm concerned and I'm of no mind to play Russian Roulette with my long term health. Even my relatives think I'm being foolish but I'm perfectly content to be one of the "better safe than sorry" crowd, thank you very much. And so far, no Covid cases in our house.

N95 and KN95 and even surgical masks offer quite a bit of protection.

The virus diameter is approximately 0.125 microns.

Many masks tested by us show it can catch particles 5-10x SMALLER than covid particles.

Here is where the confusion starts and ends. People writing articles or making YouTube videos are expressing it is just the virus by itself floating around. Which is not often the case. The virus will be inside droplets through speaking. coughing, sneezing etc therefore making the 'virus' larger where the mask will catch it.

Those cheap masks/cloths we found to protect somewhere in the range of 5%-20% of covid particles. So if someone wants to wear a mask, it's not a good idea to count on the cheap masks with odds like that.

We also tested if covid can enter through the eyes via mucosal membranes. The fluid from our eyes goes into our naval nasal cavity and our naval nasal cavity..well..you understand where im going with this. So the answer is yes! This is why the face shield exists

Some people might be wondering why are we even talking about this? Well governments right now are having conversations about restrictions. We even have many school boards here in conversation about enforcing masks/restrictions again. Will it happen again? I have no idea. One of their worries is if people will even comply and believe it or not they aren't sure if people can handle it again mentally. I guess we will see!

 

[lockinlove]

NHS staff know the score, they are not taking the death darts anymore, and this Autumn takeup will be under 30% guaranteed!!

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Not many around the world are taking it anymore when they see the fatality rate is so low.

 

[lockinlove]

A recent review published by the Royal Society has stated that non- pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) used before the rollout of vaccines, had varying degrees of success, most of it nearer the beginning of the Covid outbreak.

This of course includes masks, as well as social distancing, border controls and so forth.

Yet contrast that with the Cochrane's Institute's findings published in February, which state that masks have circa 5% effectiveness (so, useless then) and ya gots yo'self very mixed messaging!

Actually, probably not that confusing, notwithstanding one's personal proclivity and bias, and what they ultimately choose to believe.

Yet simply put:

Royal Society = Government- sponsored body, relaying its findings back to the Government, E.U and U.N

Cochrane = British charitable organisation conducting multi-national field research and studies, and seen as the benchmark of scientific analyses

I don't know, it's just too difficult

It depends on the study and how it was done. If they are only factoring in the particle size itself and not including the droplets itself then that would affect the study.

I do know the Cochrane article you are talking about and I know they got some heat for it and made a statement of some sort backtracking and calling their conclusions inconclusive. I can't quite remember it all but I do remember one of the CEO's or something came out and spoke about it.

Mixed messaging is the single biggest issue. Not covid itself.

 

[nisosbar]

Masks cover half the face, making nonverbal cues more difficult to interpret. The face is an amazing tell as to someone's feeling or thoughts.

In addition, N95 masks grip the face like a vise. No effing way am I going to let some bureaucrat or crook taking bribes from the drug companies tell me to walk around wrapped up like a mummy.

So I guess the calculus is, do I put an ineffective, non-N95 mask on my face when I go out in order to virtue signal that I am pro-corruption, pro-drug lobby, or do I remove it so that I can effectively communicate with other members of society?

Because no ordinary person is going to wear an N95 mask, and even if they did, they would not wear it properly, making it just as ineffective as the cheap ones.

 

[maxd]

... N95 masks grip the face like a vise. ... Because no ordinary person is going to wear an N95 mask ...

I guess it's a "to each their own" situation because as I'd mentioned earlier I wear N95 masks quite often -- sometimes for prolonged periods -- and I've never experienced the "like a vise" or "mummification" that you've described. They're certainly no fun to wear -- personally I find them difficult to adjust properly (I wear glasses) and pretty uncomfortable on my ears even when adjusted -- but I'd rather wear an N95 mask voluntarily than be forced to wear a respirator in the hospital. That said I recognise that everyone is going to chose for themselves whether the discomfort is worth it or not.

Many moons ago my wife and I had the necessary conversation about the precautions and it came down to this: if, in the end, the sceptics had it right would we regret having been overly -- and perhaps needlessly -- cautious? Given the risk at hand as we knew it at the time our answers were "no". From there on the inconvenience and bother of remaining cautious was just that, inconvenience. I can, and do, live with that though I have to admit that the Mrs has been the one doing most of the research and remaining firm on the precautions. On my own I expect I might have waffled and wavered, for no good reason AFAICT.

- Max

 

[satchnz]

We also tested if covid can enter through the eyes via mucosal membranes. The fluid from our eyes goes into our naval cavity and our naval cavity..well..you understand where im going with this. So the answer is yes! This is why the face shield exists

So we’re going to have to wear belly masks next??

 

[goatwack]

It depends on the study and how it was done. If they are only factoring in the particle size itself and not including the droplets itself then that would affect the study.

I do know the Cochrane article you are talking about and I know they got some heat for it and made a statement of some sort backtracking and calling their conclusions inconclusive. I can't quite remember it all but I do remember one of the CEO's or something came out and spoke about it.

Mixed messaging is the single biggest issue. Not covid itself.

Yes, there is quite the contradictory studies in circulation, to the point where it boils down to one's interpretation of the 'facts', and how they wish to apply those when making these decision pertaining to one's own life!

All the more confusing is the breadth of quality control - or lack thereof - when it comes to the supposed KN94 & 95 masks being churned out en masse, with a recently resurfaced study suggesting they're riddled with toxic volatile organic compounds, and that their prolonged usage could cause a myriad of associated health complications, chiefly by thermoplastics.

Likely not the reason why they'd be used in small bouts, and not over long periods. Whereas cloth masks are deemed relatively safe, yet would likely be ineffective in other ways, namely preventing mouth- breathers from imparting whatever gifts they wish to give to those they come into contact with, not to mention the associated germ parties that would form from those that forego even cleaning them, or discard them onto pavements for others to discover.....

Either way, I have little confidence in the merits of both supposed medical- grade N masks, nor the flimsy designer face rags that act as fashionable placebos and are just as likely to be counter-productive to the whole endeavour. And as more studies come to the fore, I think we'll get to a better understanding of their effectiveness.....but as of yet, it's a bit of a charade, truth be told

 

[lockinlove]

So we’re going to have to wear belly masks next??

hahaha and its too late to edit it. Nasal people! Nasal!

 

[dealer wins]

Lovely, who doesnt like a bit of cancer and seizures. Mask up lol

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[nisosbar]

I guess it's a "to each their own" situation because as I'd mentioned earlier I wear N95 masks quite often -- sometimes for prolonged periods -- and I've never experienced the "like a vise" or "mummification" that you've described. They're certainly no fun to wear -- personally I find them difficult to adjust properly (I wear glasses) and pretty uncomfortable on my ears even when adjusted -- but I'd rather wear an N95 mask voluntarily than be forced to wear a respirator in the hospital. That said I recognise that everyone is going to chose for themselves whether the discomfort is worth it or not.

Many moons ago my wife and I had the necessary conversation about the precautions and it came down to this: if, in the end, the sceptics had it right would we regret having been overly -- and perhaps needlessly -- cautious? Given the risk at hand as we knew it at the time our answers were "no". From there on the inconvenience and bother of remaining cautious was just that, inconvenience. I can, and do, live with that though I have to admit that the Mrs has been the one doing most of the research and remaining firm on the precautions. On my own I expect I might have waffled and wavered, for no good reason AFAICT.

- Max

No problem - I have always been okay with other people wearing masks in public or otherwise doing their own things when it come to health practices. Yes, even pre-COVID. I apologize if I sounded dismissive of people who have well-founded fears of complications from COVID - that was not my intent.

If I sound angry, it's because this damn mask is too effing tight. No seriously though, I posted upthread (again, seriously) that I like to go about my business as anonymously as I can, as I pass hundreds of strangers every single day (if I am out). Masks make hiding easier, so I do actually like the option of wearing one to sort of hide in public while not looking like a weirdo trying to hide in public.

I also resent - in a general sense - the censorship campaign surrounding publication of any statements or opinions running counter to state/corporation-approved dogma regarding the COVID therapies re: safety and effectiveness. So that probably colors some of my views, too.

 

[maxd]

Yup, no doubt those masks are snug. I think of it as the comforting embrace of knowing that the Covid monster isn't going to bite my a** that day.

 

[goatwack]

Lovely, who doesnt like a bit of cancer and seizures. Mask up lol

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Dudebro.....look up two posts and you'll find I already mentioned that. C- for attention- deficit

I don't believe even medical- grade masks are intended for extensive use, surely. I'd imagine the mask turnover's pretty high say in the medical profession, for the very reasons stated!

So wear them too long, they propel chemical resins and toxins, to go with respiratory issues. Couple that with the majority of users that wear them for durations, only to have momentary 'lapses' whereby they cough, sneeze, touch their face or mask, rub their eyes etc., somehow of the belief they're protecting themselves and others

All the pandemic has ultimately proven is how unhygienic the masses are. People would happily share their hygiene apathy before in public, that's nothing new. Yet when people flouted basic etiquette under their designer mouthwear it really took the biscuit. Little wonder they're termed The Great Unwashed - they ain't wrong!

Only place masks ought to feature prominently is on public transport, that's one place where they're surely needed, and where many Asian countries treat it like it's not even an issue.

Fact is, I highly doubt many use the masks as intended, and most will view them as an accessory, or simply pantomime. And those clinging to the belief that their overuse is beneficial long-term have seemingly had a number done on them, aka Munchausen Syndrome. Not much else to say

 

[maxd]

Lovely, who doesnt like a bit of cancer and seizures. Mask up lol

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Read on in the article:

However, there are ways to reduce the danger, they said. 'Exposure can be significantly reduced if a mask is opened and left to sit for at least 30 min,' the researchers wrote.

This suggests that the packaging of these masks could play a role in the amount of chemicals they have.

In other words whatever they found -- or think they found -- apparently applies to masks just removed from their sealed packaging which is likely the actual source of the problem. N95 masks are typically reused several times before being discarded so one would expect that whatever risk there was would have long since dissipated under normal use, as the study itself suggested. Typical Daily Mail pseudo-journalism, never pass on an opportunity to alarm people with bogus or misconstrued information.

 

[Webzcas]

This is my point, I would not bother wearing any of the disposable face masks, apart from my one with the Ukrainian flag, with tractor towing a Russian tank on, as they offer little to no protection whatsoever.

The only masks I would wear if I felt it deemed necessary would be the N95 or their equivalent, as they are proven to offer some degree of protection.

That said at this current moment in time, I would not go back to wearing a mask, even if the govt decreed we had to. I will happily take my chances.

However, that said, I completely understand why some people would wear them ( N95 masks ) when outside their own home environment. Who am I to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do.

 

[mack341]

I've just remembered this

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Foreign visitors have been upset by China’s anal swab tests for COVID-19, prompting complaints of inconvenience and even psychological trauma, and stoking debate over their necessity.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control says the test is performed with a sterile cotton swab, which looks like a very long ear bud, that is inserted 3 cm to 5 cm (1.2 inches to 2 inches) into the anus before being gently rotated out.

Early this week, Tokyo complained about the tests on some Japanese travellers to China, saying they had caused “great psychological pain”

South Korean visitors can now submit stool samples instead of “Chinese authorities taking them directly”, Choi Young-Sam, a spokesman of the South Korean foreign ministry, said on Tuesday [I knew his dad choi old-sam ]

Galicia, in northwest Spain, has performed them on some hospitalised patients, a few newborns and those with psychiatric illnesses for whom it was impossible to administer nasal swabs, its health department told Reuters.

 

[Webzcas]

Oh my god. That is another destination I have no plans to go to now...

 

[goatwack]

Yes, same here. China was high on my holiday list, but now it's been crossed off alongside North Korea

 

[Jono777]

I've just remembered this

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Foreign visitors have been upset by China’s anal swab tests for COVID-19, prompting complaints of inconvenience and even psychological trauma, and stoking debate over their necessity.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control says the test is performed with a sterile cotton swab, which looks like a very long ear bud, that is inserted 3 cm to 5 cm (1.2 inches to 2 inches) into the anus before being gently rotated out.

Early this week, Tokyo complained about the tests on some Japanese travellers to China, saying they had caused “great psychological pain”

South Korean visitors can now submit stool samples instead of “Chinese authorities taking them directly”, Choi Young-Sam, a spokesman of the South Korean foreign ministry, said on Tuesday [I knew his dad choi old-sam ]

Galicia, in northwest Spain, has performed them on some hospitalised patients, a few newborns and those with psychiatric illnesses for whom it was impossible to administer nasal swabs, its health department told Reuters.

This is a joke, right?

Please tell me this is a joke!

 

[goatwack]

This is a joke, right?

Please tell me this is a joke!

No Joke. When Mei Ai Ping reaches for that cotton swab it's kind of a done deal

 

[slot_zombie]

Yes, same here. China was high on my holiday list, but now it's been crossed off alongside North Korea

It just got added to mine..

I'll go now.

 

[Jono777]

No Joke. When Mei Ai Ping reaches for that cotton swab it's kind of a done deal

Always struggled to find any but also continually looked for any positives for being regularly skint and never having a passport, think I may have finally found one!