Forum Topic

Brits may have to wear face masks.

Just received a news flash. Brits may have to wear face masks to work and in public transport after lockdown is lifted. Where do we get them????????

Nicholas Beard ● 1837d26 Comments

There are still many statues in London but none of them are wearing face masks?

Nicholas Beard ● 1775d

Hello everyone,We're an independent chocolate shop in Chiswick now selling washable face masks made by our family textile business.For more information please visit www.lappetitfou.co.uk/masks where you can buy them online!Stay safe!

lappetitfou ● 1786d

Well we now know we will have to on public transport. But we will have the security of test and trace that is for from world class!

Nicholas Beard ● 1788d

We'll need to do a deal with one of the superpowers - at least there is a chance that Trump will be voted out.Masks are probably a good idea on public transport but it is a sad sight and I hope it isn't going to be the new normal just a temporary abnormal.Meanwhile everyone flies into Heathrow and just wanders off having taken some paracetamol to get through the temp check.Seems strange anyone would want to come right now but apparently they do and I can hear the planes getting going again, can't all be cargo and transit.

M Powes ● 1817d

No need to inject bleach - the chlorinated chickens we'll get from the US will do it for us!

Peter Evans ● 1817d

Yes and we find that when the next virus kicks in we havent got a health service. But we can inject bleach. Now gove is saying we wont have a free trade deal with europe. Remember who backed brexit campaigns with money. Russians and people with Russia connections.

Peter Chadburn ● 1818d

Thats right Peter. Also there will be all those trade deals, and of course the very special deal President Trump has for us. So our economy will not be badly effected as on 1st Jan 2021 all these deals kick in.

Nicholas Beard ● 1818d

I thought we were the country that is going to be a world leader in everything after brexit. So this should be no problem.

Peter Chadburn ● 1819d

Thermal checks. One country has cameras that check every person getting on the underground. Bit advanced for the UK.

Nicholas Beard ● 1820d

It shows what a con the guided by science mantra is. No benefit from masks they keep telling us by soon t will be compulsory in certain situations. Homemade masks must be the thing. I like the idea mentioned is swapping hankies. Sounds good. The question will be whether the rules will get compromised in order to cut costs? Thermal checks appear to be a good idea to prevent people with a problem carrying it to the wider community. We have had the healthcare tsunami and now we have the economic one to consider. A lot of businesses are not going to reopen quickly and so as furlough ends we can expect massive unemployment in July. Crime and disorder could come with a vengeance. Too many people have been living with the one paycheck away from the streets for too long. It is going to be very tough for people especially the young.

Peter Chadburn ● 1820d

"N V" Single use masks can be sanitised and re-used a few times given some technology, and in the U.S. some locations are starting to do this, for example,The Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System™ is a self-contained, mobile decontamination system that uses vapor phase hydrogen peroxide (VPHP) to decontaminate N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). Soap/detergent/water cannot be used as it destroys the electrostatic capabilities of the fibres in the non-woven fabric of the mask 5 hr 14 min ago 2nd MayVirginia to receive systems that sterilize personal protective equipmentFrom CNN's Liz TurrellGov. Ralph Northam announced Saturday that the Commonwealth has received Federal Emergency Management Agency approval to receive three Battelle Critical Care Decontamination Systems.The three systems can sterilize up to 240,000 units of personal protective equipment per day for reuse.The three systems are being installed at the Marching Virginians Center on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, a warehouse site in the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, and the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds.The system in Blacksburg will support Virginia and West Virginia and will be jointly operated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.A system delivered to Washington, DC, last week is supporting Northern Virginia and Maryland healthcare systems, in addition to those in DC. https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-05-02-20-intl/index.html

Mark Julian Raymond ● 1822d

The quantity of PPE is much debated (and don't quote that obviously biased Panorama programme), but as cotton masks can be made at home the supply would soon meet demand. And, unlike medical masks, they can be re-used after washing.

Vlod Barchuk ● 1824d

"The worry about NHS mask supplies is a red herring; the government could simply ban the sale of surgical and N95 masks to the general public if it wanted to protect hospital supplies."What this fails to recognise is that NHS staff don't currently have enough surgical masks and are therefore having to make do with non-surgical ones. If we gave guidance in the UK that masks must be more widely worn then it would be more expensive and harder for NHS staff to get even sub-standard masks.

Andy Jones ● 1824d

Stop Press Shock Horror Probe Expose Revisionist Flat-Earther Post Truth Fake News UK Government to change truth to say face masks now useful against Covid-19 illnessThe Government is about to re-write the truth as it builds a stockpile of face masks for the public to use in shops and on public transport as it might  actually  help to control the spread of Coronavirus (now THAT is sarcasm Mr Trump) having told us that face masks are of no use for the public. Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon has told the Scots to wear masks. I wonder what chinless-wonder-inbred-Whitehall-SAGEMEMBER-public-school-Atheneum-Club-Member had to be 'put down' to get the fact that face mask might be useful past the flat-earth society?https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/apr/28/sturgeon-urges-scots-to-wear-coronavirus-face-masks-for-shopping-and-travelSturgeon says Scots should wear face masks for shopping and travelFirst minister issues new virus guidance but insists there is no ‘divide or split’ with UK adviceSturgeon says Scots should wear face masks for shopping and travelFirst minister issues new virus guidance but insists there is no ‘divide or split’ with UK advicehttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/britain-to-stockpile-masks-for-public-to-use-while-shopping-and-on-transport-b8d3vbm2dBritain to stockpile masks for public to use while shopping and on transport | News | The TimesBritain is to build a stockpile of face masks for people to wear while shopping and on public transport, it was announced, after Nicola Sturgeon pre-empted what is expected to be UK-wide guidance.Thewww.thetimes.co.ukBritain to stockpile masks for public to use while shopping and on transportBritain is to build a stockpile of face masks for people to wear while shopping and on public transport, it was announced, after Nicola Sturgeon pre-empted what is expected to be UK-wide guidance.The Scottish first minister confirmed that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) had concluded that covering the face with a scarf or other cloth mask would probably help to slow the transmission of coronavirus in confined spaces as she recommended that people wore them “as a precautionary measure”.

Mark Julian Raymond ● 1825d

I wear a cotton mask with an opening at the top into which a handkerchief can be inserted, making it a much thicker barrier. I have three (£4 each) and wash after each use. The point of the mask is not to protect me but to reduce any droplets I may spray out as I breathe or talk, thereby reducing viral spread should I be one of the many people who have Covid19 but are asymptomatic (I've no way of being certain), and thus protecting other people.The worry about NHS mask supplies is a red herring; the government could simply ban the sale of surgical and N95 masks to the general public if it wanted to protect hospital supplies.

Vlod Barchuk ● 1829d

What many don't realise is that the paper/fabric masks have an effective life of a few hours.
I have seen people wearing the 'cartridge respirators' which are very effective in filtering out airborne particulates (I wear them when woodworking with hardwoods). The problem is that the cartridges have a MAXIMUM life of 30 days or 40 hours of use. The cartridges are not cheap (never have been) leading many to overuse them which gives a false sense of security. A blocked filter is about as useless as no filter.

N V Brooks ● 1830d

There are different types of masks for different levels of exposure and different other PPE.  One of the Health Minister's comments was that people were wearing more PPE than necessary - and that is why they were short.  Unfortunately a lot of it IS single use. Since many patients and staff are not tested and symptons may not be showing or patients and staff may be asymptomatic how can you question that too high a grade is being used? Also bear in mind that many experienced medical staff are now off sick so their places are being taken by other medical staff some of whom have been trained to do jobs in a few hours that would normally take much much longer training - and then tell everyone at risk that less effective PPE is OK.

Philippa Bond ● 1830d

We even had an official in our area claiming that the WHO said that masks should not be used. The fear is that if the government said to wear masks then the nhs and carers would not have any. Bulgaria has made masks mandatory for shopping and i would expect that any loosening will mean that anyone out and about will have to wear some kind of mask. The government are trying to manage the people but i expect them to announce masks to be used when out when the time comes to loosen the rules, But really until we have testing (according to Hancock there was no demand!!!) we ca not see a way out of the lockdown.

Peter Chadburn ● 1837d

The Mayor jumps on any bandwagon that already has momentum.This has been a constant  for weeks now.Whilst experts have withered over the issue and tried to imply masks are unreliable and not pertinent, then why are they so important to any medics and staff working in the front line? Are they equally irrelevant?Of course not. Sheer common sense says do everything to protect yourself until clearly proven to not be needed.A bit like learning to swim without armbands you might drown with them you will float and eventually you don't need them.Shame the Mayor did not insist at the onset on TfL transport workers all having mandatory gloves , sanitisers and masks.  TfL manage plenty of other edicts with no 'trials' or consultations.  Well within his remit to do so.

Raymond Havelock ● 1837d

I absolutely love this video. It's brilliant and quite motivating.'How to make your own mask at home"Not sure how to make, wear or clean your own masks at home? CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta demonstrates the proper methods using materials at home so health care workers can have the N95 masks they need at work.Source: CNN'(and without sewing, what is more)https://edition.cnn.com/videos/health/2020/04/10/dr-sanjay-gupta-diy-make-mask-demo-town-hall-vpx.cnnAlso, including if you can sew,Following on from the previous short video there is an excellent guide on 'How to make with our own face mask (whether or not you know how to sew)' that goes somewhat further with more options on CNN's website.Please note that being American the measurements are in inches rather than centimetres,Please see:https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/04/health/how-to-make-your-own-mask-wellness-trnd/index.html

Mark Julian Raymond ● 1837d

Look to the Far East where they have a lot of experience with these viruses and know what works.It's pretty clear to me, wear a mask if you have one.

Rosco White ● 1837d

Well I glad we will not have to.

Nicholas Beard ● 1837d

The article doesn't actually say the government is proposing we all wear face masks now and it uses 'it is claimed' in the first paragraph without quoting a source. No other news media is saying there has been a change in policy. The government advice is that you may choose to wear NON SURGIGAL face masks if you want.

Andy Jones ● 1837d

"Police in Spain Hand Out Millions of Masks to Commuters" - news story from a couple of days ago. So we'll have rely on our government to do the same or pop over to Spain and queue up at a station. Universal public masks in the UK are not a good idea as they'd take vital (and scarce) supplies away from essential health workers.

Peter Evans ● 1837d

This is a goverment proposal came through 15 mins ago according to the Sun.

Nicholas Beard ● 1837d

You don't. The Mayor, probably wishing to distract from unfavourable headlines about bus driver deaths, has made the proposal that they should be worn in situations where social distancing is not possible. Some countries, such as Germany do recommend this. The government says that the value of face masks is not yet confirmed. The reality is that they are concerned that a panic buying by the general public will mean further shortages for medical staff. If you are worried wear a scarf wrapped round your face.

Andy Jones ● 1837d