Just waiting for easternrider to say he’s exempt under the Magna Carta as a Freeman of the land.

I am assuming @easternrider is just a spoof/troll account?

If not, evidence for masks and global guidance free of the politics that most anti-maskers seem to cite as reason why not: World Health Organisation, the Lancet, US National Academy of Science etc.

Note: as well as the infection control by reducing airborne droplets, a few of these studies also consider cultural points such as reminding folk that they are contributing to reducing spread, including masks, handwashing, distance etc, and so the benefits of mask wearing goes beyond just the biology.

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-masks

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/337199/WHO-2019-nCov-IPC_Masks-2020.5-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340603522_Face_Masks_Against_COVID-19_An_Evidence_Review

We also have efforts from WHO to stop false information spreading:

https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/fighting-misinformation-in-the-time-of-covid-19-one-click-at-a-time

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters#oxygen

(I am still intrigued as to why *anyone* gets a mask exemption, for the short periods they are asked to wear them unless it is the facey no likey maskey….)

I am still intrigued as to why *anyone* gets a mask exemption

I don’t think they do. ‘Mask exemption’ is a myth perpetuated by people online, I’ve never encountered it in the real world (including medical settings). I suspect there are a small handful of people in this country (tens?) who have been waterboarded in a previous life and have some severe PTSD about face coverings. Or perhaps people with unusual contact dermatitis or something.

For everyone else, including people with respiratory diseases, there’s really no reason. People with asthma / COPD are not automatically exempt. In fact, since they’re more at risk from respiratory diseases AND may be more likely to themselves cough / spread droplets (even if not symptomatic of Covid), it’s arguably more important they do.

I’ve encountered plenty of patients who don’t like to wear masks and will choose not to wear them – even as they’re slowly wheezing through hospital departments with loads of other people. Until recently that was “their choice”.

Someone already mentioned it I think, but it’s a shame all the angry anti-mask and anti-vax bell-ends, who are so keen to set themselves up as freedom fighters, have done nothing about the steady erosion of our civil liberties for the last decade.

Where were they when the police bill went through?

Yeah, all sat watching GBNews, tiktok and youtube at home in a froth of indignation about a bit of cloth stealing their liberty.

My autistic son is exempt, under the we’re-making-this-up-as-go-along-bullshit-anti-mask-athon, but has worn one when required because he knows it’s the right thing to do.

At times it does cause him distress, irrational meltdown distress. But what distresses him more is the wilfully ignorant and couldn’t give shit attitude of those who refuse to wear a mask for other people’s benefit.

As a practice manager at a GP I’ve lost count over the amount of times that patients have asked for our doctors to write a letter supporting their exemption (to the point that I’ve written a template letter). AFAIK the only reasons are;

1, Children under 11

2. People with disabilities

3. Those with breathing difficulties

4. People who are accompanying someone else who relies on lip reading

That’s all there is under the govt guidelines.

Edit: There’s no requirement either other than to tell some-one you’re exempt, there’s no evidence needed when questioned directly, telling some-one you’re exempt is all that’s required, and should be sufficient.

It’s a very peculiarly mild form of fascist tyranny isn’t it – ‘wear this mask, unless you don’t want to, in which case no further questions will be asked.’

Update from my shop – around 10% noncompliance…. One gentleman yesterday who I know is a vocal anti Vax pulled the ” I’m exempt ” excuse (I know he’s not as he’s been quite vocal about this In the wider community). Not much I could at the time, other customers in the shop etc. And he was quite aggressive about it.

Other than that it’s mainly been under 25yr old males and a few over 70 males.

D*cks will be d*cks.

Maybe that’s his specific exemption; I can’t wear a mask, because I’m a weapons grade d*ck.

FFP3 masks can offer protection but the face coverings 99.9% of the people seem to be wearing do chaff all. Other similarly effective things include a chocolate fire guard or an ashtray on a motorbike.

So small are the virus particles, the wearing of a cloth mask is like putting up scaffolding around a house next to a golf course and thinking that the balls will no longer hit it. And since masks have been introduced there has not even been any correlation to falling cases, let alone causation. Have we always mandated medical interventions based on such flimsy evidence?

No doubt the pro-maskers here will think that this is a good idea – masks for babies, to protect the adults. And all because the adults are scared of a virus with an IFR very similar to that of seasonal flu.

Masks for babies

How effed up have we become as a society where some people think that this is acceptable?

And in any case, the pandemic is over guys.

If we look at the UK and for most of the other countries in Europe there is no excess death right now. No excess death = no deadly pandemic.

Euromomo excess deaths

Looks like we did the right thing by opening up over the summer and letting our young people catch it, building up natural immunity ready for the winter when the seasonal element comes into play. If Boris would have ignored the screeching doom mongers and had opened up earlier in June as planned, probably an even bigger beneficial effect would have been felt.

So it is time to take off your masks I’d say!

 telling some-one you’re exempt is all that’s required, and should be sufficient.

This is the current gov stance and in my view is completely insufficient and has been from the start. It doesn’t provide any protection to anyone either from the virus or from the aggression shown to shop workers who now feel it’s un-policable. As discussed through out this thread it can/is be taken advantage of by those that simply don’t want to wear one.

How effed up have we become as a society where some people think that this is acceptable?

*We* as society don’t. Someone selling baby masks does, to make money.

Similar places sell baby knee pads if you want, for when they are learning to crawl.

Nicely stoked up aledrinker, that should liven up the thread for a few hours.

It’s a very peculiarly mild form of fascist tyranny isn’t it

Well quite.

This is the current gov stance and in my view is completely insufficient and has been from the start.

Because (as @grum succulently points out) we aren’t living in a authoritarian dictatorship. The advice to wear a mask unless you can’t, should be all that’s required to help to reduce the spread of an infectious disease. It doesn’t need total compliance, it just needs sufficient numbers in the community to jump on board in order to help reduce the spread is all.

Just report any new accounts, we have a returned banned member making multiple accounts. They’re banned for life because when first banned they decided to call everyone at STW the C word. So, even if they were to stop trolling on here they are gone. Thanks

And in any case, the pandemic is over guys.

A global pandemic is only over when it’s over globally – also deaths in the UK have been reduced but are now steadily on the rise again….

And in any case, the pandemic is over guys.

Again? One day that will be true. Keep saying it. A stopped clock… etc.

building up natural immunity ready for the winter

Don’t look at whether natural immunity is working in South Africa right now. Early signs are not good. Vaccinating teens was always preferable to leaving them to catch the virus in school, and risking long term ill effects.

And welcome back. Please don’t bring ale into disrepute with your new trolling username.

Cheers @Drac, I did wonder some of the names and troll-like behaviour.

🤔 aledrinker joined yesterday – what a surprise!

Thanks @Drac will do.

Congrats on finding the forum Aledrinker, the way out’s over there ———->

Report is best but not falling for it is next best. Clearly trolling up there with 3 BS posts in a row.

Last two customers, no mask. One middle aged man who just ignores all requests. The other a 30 something girl, who last year said she was exempt, but then had a full shouting match with another customer about mask wearing and wore one for the next six months…. I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

Some may remember from last year, my wife is in the most vulnerable cat, she has an auto immune disorder, so is in the high risk cat. Last year and during subsequent lock downs, I ran the shop and self isolated from her and my daughter.

She now helping out in the shop again when she can – but is extremely nervous about customers that don’t wear masks and don’t socially distance etc. We could refuse to serve them, but I’ve found this causes more confrontation and delays them actually leaving the shop. I’ve had more agro in the last few days than any previous lockdown – pretty much all from customers who were previously wearing masks.

I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

If it helps: At the practice we ask all to wear a mask, and most comply (It’s easier in my setting I agree) If they won’t they’re asked to leave, simple as that. Now I get that you’re a local store and that’s perhaps not a option you can afford. I don’t think personally there’s much mileage in getting into arguments with folks about it. A polite request, and then STFU. But at the vey least  you can be consistent and ask every time.

Refuse to serve them you have no obligation to serve anyone.

They’re exempt because masks go on faces not *****.

I’d be tempted with a very very large sign on the door stating ‘in accordance with government advice, strictly no admittance without mask’.

Leaves no room for bullplop whiners to whine and claim special exemption. Obviously got to accept a few morons will then go shop elsewhere.

Frankly, it’s pretty damn disrespectful to your family turning up without a mask. Maybe they should think about that when they toss off about how they’re special and don’t need one.

Refuse to serve them you have no obligation to serve anyone.

That can just make the problem much worse. I really feel for shop workers, again, as they have to deal with people whipped up by people like Piers Corbyn, Desmond Swayne and Julia Hartley-Brewer. It’s easy to say… “don’t serve them”, but if that results in a long indoor shouting matching, nothing is gained, and shop staff and owners shouldn’t have to put themselves through that.

when first banned they decided to call everyone at STW the C word

The C word? Cyclists? On STW – no wonder you banned them.

The till workers at my local co-op are wearing body-cams because of the behaviour of some refuseniks. Body-cams!

You need some Australians. Have witnessed (masked) customers robustly backing-up both a young barista, and a shopkeeper when confronting customers refusing to wear a mask or leave.

To be fair, the barista (despite being a 5ft nothing 21yr old) didn’t seem to need any help at all – never heard a string of expletives like it, not been able to look her in the eye since

we have a returned banned member making multiple accounts. They’re banned for life because when first banned they decided to call everyone at STW the C word.

Do we get to guess who it was?

But back on topic – probably 70-80% mask in my local supermarket.
start of summer was probably 80%, slowly tapering down to me feeling like the odd one out at times, up until this week.

” For everyone else, including people with respiratory diseases, there’s really no reason. People with asthma / COPD are not automatically exempt. In fact, since they’re more at risk from respiratory diseases AND may be more likely to themselves cough / spread droplets (even if not symptomatic of Covid), it’s arguably more important they do. ”

The reason they can get an exemption, is the intake of air. Both conditions can be exacerbated by not being able to get a full breath and placing a mask across your mouth and nose will have that effect.

Im not debating the point with you, just sayin’ like 🙂

How about a sign on the door …

If you are not going to wear a mask in the shop, please knock and await permission to enter to allow time for other customers to leave.

That might be just inconvenient enough without being a total ban.

I’d be tempted with a very very large sign on the door stating ‘in accordance with government advice, strictly no admittance without mask’.

Or
“My shop, my rules. Staff are clinically vulnerable. No mask, no entry”.

It’s a very peculiarly mild form of fascist tyranny isn’t it – ‘wear this mask

Plus as a general rule authoritarian regimes dont tend to be that keen on people hiding their faces as a rule. Last thing you want when intimidating the population is not to be able to easily recognise them. China apparently had a bit of a panic last year and had to invest quickly in alternatives to bog standard facial recognition (infra red stuff and gait analysis and the like).

China apparently had a bit of a panic last year and had to invest quickly in alternatives to bog standard facial recognition

How about certain parts of (I think) France, where covering your face was both illegal (burkas) and mandatory (facemasks). Did anything come of that?

The C word? Cyclists? On STW – no wonder you banned them.

Exactly.