Covid-19

[Texaco Shirley]

Does anyone remember that absolute dose from BB a few years ago, Spi.ral? Well he’s just shown up on Twitter getting into it with some poor supermarket employee because he wasn’t wearing a mask. Honestly, if it wasn’t so tragic it would be funny, he’s ranting about his “constitutional rights” and insisting he’s buying whatever it is he has as the employee is taking back the stuff and telling him to leave.

This is now what we’re dealing with here. Anti mask protests, conspiracy theorists and people thinking this eejit is some sort of freedom fighter.

Totally aside from any plague based idiocy haven’t the owners of private property always had the right to refuse admission on whatever grounds they choose?

[smalex]

Not if they are discriminating against people, I think? Isn't that always the basis of those legal cases between evangelical B&B owners who refuse to have a gay couple stay, or whatever.

(not that that would be the case in any way shape or form here).

[Heebie Jeebie]

No but there will always be people who have valid health reasons why wearing a mask is impossible, and a much larger number who place themselves in that special group although it's not justified. Like that idiot recently who was refusing to wear a mask on a flight on asthma grounds, then was forced to and complained he spent the flight hyperventilating. Well that isn't an asthma attack is it?

[ParisGal]

What are the valid health reasons not to wear a mask? I know these exemptions are always mentioned but I can't imagine what they are. Apart from anything, If you have asthma or any other breathing problem then you need to protect yourself more than anything.

[Ella77]

Unfortunately the list is written such that anybody who wants to can opt out.

- young children under the age of 11
- not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
- if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress - anybody can try this on.
- if you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
- to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
- to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
- to eat or drink, but only if you need to - anybody can try this on too.
- to take medication
- if a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering

[Texaco Shirley]

Not if they are discriminating against people, I think? Isn't that always the basis of those legal cases between evangelical B&B owners who refuse to have a gay couple stay, or whatever.

(not that that would be the case in any way shape or form here).

No, discrimination is different. I was thinking more of shops insisting men wear shirts for example.

[smalex]

Yes, I think from that POV you can say what you want.

[ParisGal]

Unfortunately the list is written such that anybody who wants to can opt out.

- young children under the age of 11
- not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
- if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress - anybody can try this on.
- if you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
- to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
- to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
- to eat or drink, but only if you need to - anybody can try this on too.
- to take medication
- if a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering

What bollocks. The only valid reasons IMO are the first two, and the vast majority of adults who are sufficiently impaired to be unable to wear a mask aren't going to be able to articulate that they're exempt any way. And again will be at the highest risk if they do catch the virus.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I find it passably amusing that last winter research was published to suggest asthmatics should wear a scarf over their face in cold weather to warm the air they breathe and prevent attacks. But asthma is also being used as a reason for exemption from wearing a mask right now. That said, I don’t have asthma and I imagine not everyone experiences it in the same way.

[Ella77]

Asthma is one of those things everybody says they have, too.

[Kleio]

How many face covering refusers will wear a Halloween mask?

[Smunder Woman]

The distress one isn't bollocks, but isn't as widespread as people make it out to be. Jack, for example, struggles with wearing a mask for a long period, due to sensory needs. It's a very small section of society that can genuinely use this though, but it's not particularly helpful to write it off as being nonsense. The obvious answer is not to go anywhere you need a mask, but it's not really feasible for most people not to do shopping or whatever for the foreseeable future. Jack does wear one, and he's better at it than a lot of adults we see, but he did start getting distressed and anxious at the end of a Tesco shop, for example.

[Ella77]

How many face covering refusers will wear a Halloween mask?

Quite.

No-one said it was bollocks, just that it's something anybody can claim if they choose.

[smalex]

My sister has life long, chronic asthma and finds it fine to wear a mask, whereas S's dad claims it gives him some sort of exemption. I wish people put kids in them more, W is 9 and is absolutely fine wearing a mask, even for long periods of time. I know not all kids are, but you see an awful lot without them.

[Derek Nimmo]

That (to me anyway) would fall under the second bullet point Smun - bullet point three is a ridiculous catch-all for those who 'just don't wanna'.

[Heebie Jeebie]

I thought some autistic people, especially children, might be caused extreme distress by wearing a mask. Many other people need to understand that everyone finds wearing one uncomfortable and sometimes makes breathing feel weird, but not so much we'd be prepared to risk killing someone to be spared it.

I can't imagine how wearing a mask would make asthma worse. But at my last asthma review I was asked if I could walk to the local shops (less than 5 minutes away) so some people must have serious difficulty breathing all the time. I imagine this would be quickly apparent in any scenario where wearing a mask was in dispute.

[sally maclennane]

When my mum had fluid on her lungs last month,she found wearing a mask unbearable, I saw how hard she found it. I'm generally in favour of masks but for every person misusing the exemptions, there's another twat "policing" other people so its one of those situations that its pointless arguing about it.

[smalex]

I was waiting in a shop the other day and said excuse me to a couple I wanted to pass, and they didn't react. I said it several more times before they saw me move and realised I was there. Stupidly it just didn't occur to me until then they might be deaf. He pulled his mask down and then even more idiotically I spoke back, still wearing mine. I felt like such a plank. He gestured again about the mask and I finally twigged and pulled mine down to speak (we were several metres apart so it felt like an acceptable thing to do). It must be very difficult for them at the moment.

[ParisGal]

My mum was saying she finds it hard to breathe in a mask too. I think part of the problem is that the fitted masks are comfortable and easy to wear, but are so close to your face that they do make it harder to breathe. I think the surgical style is much better for that. I'm also looking into mask spacers / brackets which are plastic or silicone things you put under the mask to hold it away from your mouth.

[Disco]

Yes, my mum is deaf since infancy and finds it very difficult.