Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: Pennyfarthing on October 21, 2021, 02:33:25 PM
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Mention of masks is much in the news again but I am still confused.
I wore a mask religiously when in a public place or shop until a few weeks ago when it became optional. I have low blood pressure and am a “fainter” so it wasn’t always easy and I often had to cut short my trips out so I could remove the mask.
Since restrictions were lifted I have not worn a mask and I understand masks are not to protect the wearer but people around you. I am double jabbed, have no symptoms of covid and take a covid test every week so why should I be a threat to anybody?
Then we are told that homemade masks are no good but if you do use them they have to be washed after each wearing. I see cars parked up with homemade masks hanging from the mirror or gearstick and I am pretty sure they don’t get washed regularly. Some people walk round in filthy old masks for weeks. There is an elderly man near us and his blue masks are disgusting so I politely reminded him that they need to be changed regularly and gave him a new pack of 10. A few days later I saw him in his filthy old one!
I saw a woman this morning alone and driving a car with a big homemade type mask pulled right up to just below her eyes and a hat pulled down with just her eyes showing. Why?
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Masks are still required in shops and on public transport here, but not everyone is wearing them >:( If you look at the covid rates, Wales is still high so mask wearing doesn’t seem to be making any difference. Covid passports are also required for large gatherings but this has only recently been required so its too early to see if its making a difference yet.
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It's always confused me seeing one person in a car with a mask on,I still wear a mask to Tesco etc,just back from Amsterdam and NOBODY was wearing masks and the city was so crowded.
I'm not sure what's going on,I thought the whole purpose of us all being vaccinated was so we could go forwards but they seem to want us to go backwards again,it all baffles me
Quite right. Now they are saying we need a third jab!
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The jab has given people a false sense of security. It's a virus. As with all bugs they can be passed by breathing from nose and mouth as well as via touch. The world isn't immune yet. It's a booster that is suggested, as well as the 'flu jabs each Autumn.
I don't agree with over stimulating the body's defences, so I will have the C-19 this side of C.mas and if available the 'flu jab after. Otherwise I won't know if there is a reaction, which to blame!
We have to live with viruses. Most people in hospital have not been vaccinated. Apparently.
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I’ve had both COVID booster and flu jab the same day last week… absolutely fine. I had a reaction to my first vaccine back in January, but nothing since.
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I am not prepared to risk it.
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MinL was ill with 'flu 3 times: after having the jab :-\
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I've been ill ever since my first Covid jab in April with heart palpitations every single day. I was wary to take the vaccine but did so because I foolishly thought if I did I would be able to go out without a mask. Had a 24 heart monitor done in July and am still waiting on the results. A backlog seemingly and according to doctor they are only on the ones done in May!!!! In actual fact I have never yet seen a doctor face to face since April. I was even asked to 'take my pulse' over the phone. I will NOT have my booster. I have anxiety which is now ruining my life. I can't wear a facemask, probably exempt, but neither do I want to declare to the world (or the small nosey town I live in) that I have a 'hidden disability' by wearing a lanyard round my neck. For me masks should be optional then no one knows why you are not wearing one. I cry about them every day, I can't go out anymore, other than a walk every now and again. Live for me is over, I'm afraid, it's merely just an existence. I am so bloody fed up of everyone on tv (Susannah Reid, Adil Ray this morning) almost wetting their pants about people not wearing masks. NOBODY is stopping anyone from wearing a mask, wear one if you want, but the people that say it's easy, are not me. It's not easy, it's ruining my life. I'm in Scotland and we don't have a choice. Someone has to get my shopping, I need to go to the dentist, but had to cancel, I need to go to the optician but had to cancel. I cant go to the bank etc. my life has not changed since the first lockdown last March. What I'd like to know (and it's a genuine question, and one I'd like to ask Susannah 'pouty' Reid), is everyone who thinks masks should be mandatory again (Plan B) happy to go into cafes and restaurants and sit maskless eating and drinking. Does the virus not get down to table level?. Or is Covid something that just spreads in Sainsburys. My parents friends went out for coffee a couple of weeks ago, following guidelines, and are now both in hospital with Covid, (both double jabbed). We are all double jabbed now, boosters now being administered, we can do no more, are we going to wear masks forever more? When will it be the right time to stop wearing them? Honestly, are people happy to wear a mask for ever? We are being told we will have to live with Covid, it's here to stay, if masks continue to be mandatory (forever?) then I really don't want to be here anymore. I know this is extreme, but it's so bloody hard listening to everyone bleating on and on about them. My husband and I drove to England last weekend so that I could go out for a meal (first time since a year past February) and it was lovely, for a day I got my life back, but I fear it will be a long long time before I can do that again. Life is just horrid.
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Aww holidaylover, I do feel for you. I caught the tail end of the programme you mentioned that was on this morning. I missed the bit that they mentioned about a doctor being on earlier saying masks did not help and that in Scotland and Wales where mask wearing has been compulsory, rates are higher.
I have an Aunt who lives in Scotland and she is also a changed person since covid. She used to be very outgoing, a great walker, very sociable etc now she barely goes out, is obsessed with mask wearing because that’s what everyone is telling her and she now has problems with her knees as she is not doing her usual exercise. I can hear from talking to her on the phone that she is fed up and confused now and she used to be such a bubbly person.
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holiday lover - have U contacted the surgery to see about the results? It's a 2 week wait currently in our surgery to get to speak to a GP. (I see now that they are threatening strike action :-\).
Don't watch the programmes ? We wear a mask to protect others! If U have some1 to do your shopping you don't have to mix with others. U can wear a lanyard when out and about - why worry what others think? I long ago decided this is up to me not to be bothered about them.
We wear masks out and about but 1 cannot eat/drink with one on. But tables are spread out, the virus travels through the air as well as contact. Most places swipe the tables but not the chairs any longer ::) wooden tables make me wild as they don't wipe well nor do the slate tables, leaving smears: 1 can see where the swiping as been missed. I take my own cleanser ;-).
I will be happy to wear a masks for as long as necessary. It is assumed that people lose immunity by not being exposed in the 'usual' way but I think that more research is required on that 1. Who else did those friends mix with, 1 doesn't always get the full story because people forget. How ill are they? Vaccines do not stop us contracting the virus currently doing the rounds. We will have to live with Covid as we do with all the SARS-type viruses.
How does your DH feel about the situation? We can find plenty of places to go without meeting many people.
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CLKD, I've been in touch with the surgery and they have said they will contact me when the results are in. Just having to live with a pounding heart!! I don't even like seeing other people in masks but I just wish Scotland would make it optional. I'm an adult and I would like to be able to make my own decisions regarding the risks I take. This is out of my hands. DH is worried about me if I'm honest. I cry most days and the debate about masks seems to be the most important thing at the minute and is mentioned everywhere which is making my anxiety worse. I realise the majority of people don't find them a problem at all, but for me they have been the worse thing about the whole pandemic. Madness I know but that's how it is.
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I had a thought earlier - holidaylover : how about a clear visor-type rather than a cloth close-2-the-face type? One that can be wiped clean on both sides, enabling you 2 keep out of the way of others. Then U and DH can take avoiding action but still go out and about.
Those results should be in by now, I would ring the Practice Manager followed by a letter to her and your GP. It may be on your records 'no further action'. This happened to DH, read and filed away: OK no further action might be the result but it would have been a good idea to let him know! as it was, he continued with pain - don't know if the GP was even aware of the result!! although most come through via e-mail these days. He made an appt with the GP and advice was given.
You sound fed up which can lead to depression. Loss of control can make anxiety worse , it makes me really angry ! As does the government over-all from years back, trying to be 'in control' by ignoring the advice of people working in the Labs. on the current vaccines. Ignoring advice is never going to work! Also the governments of Europe met, 3 times, to make provision for the next pandemic .......... but not a lot was put into place across the UK! Which makes me angry as the tax payer funded those 'jollies'.
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Sitting at a table is different to breathing over others. Wearing a mask when going to the loo etc. should be encouraged. What is annoying me is the lack of staff wearing masks in various places we have been this week. However, there is a part of me that says 'let's have a large party and look after those who get poorly'. Friends have had heavy colds but not tested +ive, a friend has had Covid 3 times: once prior to being jabbed, twice since .......... and has been really ill each time though has not required hospitalisation.
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@holidaylover, have you tried one of the clear plastic visors? I've found that if I wear a lanyard but no mask I get weird looks - they're obviously thinking 'what kind of disability has she got, she looks ok' and if I don't wear either, I get aggro for not wearing a mask, but if I wear a visor, no one comments. You can pick them up really cheaply online (my husband got me a pack of about 5 for £7 last month) and they last for ages.
For shorter periods, I've got a cycle gaiter, which I can just about manage for a short time as long as I don't talk and I concentrate on breathing exercises. It's a tube of stretchy material - if my breathing's not too bad I double it up, and if I'm really puffy, I just use one layer, and when it's really bad, I pull the bottom end out with my fingers to make it easier to breathe. Again I've not had any comments or unpleasantness while wearing this.
I know how you feel - my life has become very different since Covid, and I don't think I'll ever be able to socialise the way I did before. But the visor and the gaiter mean I can at least do essential tasks, plus if we go to a public garden, I don't have to worry about popping inside to use the loo or order a takeaway coffee. It's helped me keep a little bit of 'normal life', which in turn has helped me hang onto a bit of sanity in this crazy world!
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more confusion ….you are still supposed to wear a mask with a face visor or screen.
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/coronavirus-and-face-masks
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more confusion ….you are still supposed to wear a mask with a face visor or screen.
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/coronavirus-and-face-masks
My comment was specifically referring to @holidaylover, who said that she can't wear a mask but doesn't feel comfortable wearing a lanyard. I've found that when people see someone without a mask or lanyard (I'm in Wales, so masks are still mandatory here) they can get aggressive, but if that person is wearing a visor, everyone seems to accept the absence of a mask/lanyard! So visors can be very helpful for those who are exempt from mask-wearing but don't want to have to deal with the aggression they may get if they go out without a mask.
I have an exemption card from my GP but was advised to try the cycle gaiter if I could cope with it or the visor if not on the basis that anything is better than nothing. I know that neither is as good as a surgical mask, but for those of us who can't wear them, it's a case of finding something that is workable for us.
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I can't keep up ::). I've got 2 masks in each vehicle, 1 in the porch and another in my handbag. I can usually remember 2 take at least 1!
I think those visors should be tarted up with fairy lights ;-).
If I feel that I need to drawer a breath I get away from others, lift the mask and breath.
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I can't keep up ::). I've got 2 masks in each vehicle, 1 in the porch and another in my handbag. I can usually remember 2 take at least 1!
I think those visors should be tarted up with fairy lights ;-).
If I feel that I need to drawer a breath I get away from others, lift the mask and breath.
But they reckon that masks which have been in handbags/coat pockets etc are no good as they could be contaminated.
I recently went for acupuncture and had a very detailed email prior to the appointment telling me I had to wear a high grade mask of a particular spec (not homemade) and I had to wait at the glass door and show the staff that I had just taken it from a new sealed bag or box.
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more confusion ….you are still supposed to wear a mask with a face visor or screen.
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/coronavirus-and-face-masks
My comment was specifically referring to @holidaylover, who said that she can't wear a mask but doesn't feel comfortable wearing a lanyard. I've found that when people see someone without a mask or lanyard (I'm in Wales, so masks are still mandatory here) they can get aggressive, but if that person is wearing a visor, everyone seems to accept the absence of a mask/lanyard! So visors can be very helpful for those who are exempt from mask-wearing but don't want to have to deal with the aggression they may get if they go out without a mask.
I have an exemption card from my GP but was advised to try the cycle gaiter if I could cope with it or the visor if not on the basis that anything is better than nothing. I know that neither is as good as a surgical mask, but for those of us who can't wear them, it's a case of finding something that is workable for us.
i know - that’s why I didn’t quote you. ;D
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They provided the mask of course PF? Even if your appt was private?
How would my handbag, pockets etc. be any more contaminated than door handles, table tops that I might touch when out and about ? Unless they test the interior of my handbag and/or pockets, what Research actually shows the small possibility?
I think that there is a lot of false news out there ;-)
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I really struggled with my breathing with material masks, but have found the disposable surgical masks ok. Bearable enough to have started driving home with it on! I’d rather wear reusable ones, but needs must. Wearing masks with glasses is difficult particularly in colder weather, but found shaping the metal bit further down my nose helps with avoiding misting up. Even better would be a longer nose! Not something I had wished for before! I will continue wearing masks when I need to. I believe it does give you some protection, but no one has ever said it would protect you completely. Or vaccines. This virus is doing what viruses do, mutating. We will continue to need boosters in years to come, just as we do with the flu. Hopefully only once a year, with a better understanding of how this virus works.
I keep my masks in a regularly washed bag in my handbag.
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They provided the mask of course PF? Even if your appt was private?
How would my handbag, pockets etc. be any more contaminated than door handles, table tops that I might touch when out and about ? Unless they test the interior of my handbag and/or pockets, what Research actually shows the small possibility?
I think that there is a lot of false news out there ;-)
No, I provided it to their spec or they offered to provide one at a charge. She was extremely strict and said her Acupuncture association and insurance insisted on it. I had to keep my mask on all through the one hour session and she kept hers on. i told her I was double jabbed and she said she was but she wouldn’t relent.
i’m not arguing with you just pointing out what the thinking is on face masks. it’s all bonkers to me.
To be fair, I see people all the time going through their coat pockets trying to find a “used” mask. Despite wearing a mask for the duration I now feel inclined not to.
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I think I probably could get an exemption from wearing a mask as I have breathing issues and of course they do make my already limited speech worse, but I find that providing I get one that fits (so not the horrible one I was given the other day!) I forget I'm wearing it. I tend to assume that people who aren't wearing one have a good reason, but I see a lot of people getting very judgemental. That said I give the cyclists where I walk the dog extremely dirty looks. It's obvious their breath is going everywhere and they don't distance sufficiently to be safe >:( Loads of people have worn masks for indoor sports that are far more intensive, so for cycling on pavements etc. they should be required.
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I’ve had both COVID booster and flu jab the same day last week… absolutely fine. I had a reaction to my first vaccine back in January, but nothing since.
I have the flu jab next week. Someone at the local vaccination centre told me that I had to wait a week between a flu jab and a Covid Booster.
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I think it's wise to distance vaccinations. The body doesn't need to be over stimulated.
No argument intended PF.
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I should have posted on here about my BIL visiting my SIL in hospital and not having to wear a mask.
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? recently ?
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When we went to buy my mobile in Stressco yesterday none of the staff were wearing masks ......... I felt unsafe and really angry! DH didn't notice ::) even though we always wear 1 when in proximity.
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They should never have let the public even think about not wearing masks >:(. As someone who spits regularly when talking :-X it's easy to see how viruses spread.
I fished out my Winter masks yesterday ...... will be keeping distances again. As Pooh says "I said keep 6 feet away Roo" ...........
I think that those clear visors are a good idea 4 those who feel shut in. I've got my masks more or less 'right' with a view to not steaming up by putting it on sooner rather than later. Then of course, my nose runs ;D
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I am experiencing something called "maskne" or mask acne. I get breakouts on my chin and around my mouth and I'm pretty sure it's from the masks. We have to wear company approved non-surgical masks, which tend to get humid after awhile of wear. I have to wash my face with an ultra-mild cleanser to keep the breakouts from getting too bad.
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Morning C.C. - it's been noted here as a side-effect of wearing masks on a regular basis.
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So back to masks tomorrow in England. Scotland has been wearing masks for months and their rates are going up again. Go figure that one!
I went to the city today and noticed there was a walk in booster clinic. Massive queues. Spoke to a helper who said you could only have the jab if it had been 6 months since your 2nd jab. I said it was some time in June. He said I couldn’t have it as I wasn’t sure of exact date. Got home (50 mile round trip) and they changed the news this afternoon and you can now have the booster after just a 3 month gap! ::)
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It's not good to over stimulate the immune system. Until everyone is tested to see how many antibodies are present, these gaps are guess work. People will get the virus - even though they 'should' be wearing masks, it doesn't mean that they have done. We need to increase hand washing etc. which will help a lot. Do U know have a card with your vaccine dates on? Mine is in my purse, I was surprised to find it ::) and it was required B4 we could have the jab on Sat.. It was stamped too. That of course should be incorporated into a passport system.
We haven't been out much. We have worn the mask most times, when DH does his sport, although they keep a strict distance they are still chatting across the room without. I notice that I spit :o :-X :-[
All viruses mutate. Usually we wouldn't be told, it's all about keeping the NHS safe.
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Interesting. In an industrial situation, masks have to be fitted by someone who can check that they cover all important areas. My husband was responsible for this for several years, he was sent on a 'special course' ::). The masks suggested are not cheap to make and usually R 4 one use only ........... but as suggested in the article, after 2 years a wider choice could be available.
I have found that putting mine on earlier than possibly required, then my long distance glasses over the nose area, helps with any steaming up. It's when I have to change from distance to readers inside that problems begin ::).
Where do you keep yours? I have 2 pairs in the car, 1 in the camper van, several in the house and those worn more often are laundered weekly.
I see more are buying those clear visor masks so that they can see and be understood.
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It's all about networking and trying to keep up to date with the latest 'thinking'.
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At work, we are required to wear company-approved surgical masks that are to be changed each shift. We are not permitted washable cloth masks, but the children can wear them. Most kids will have an extra or two but few remember to change them, which adds to the problem of hygiene. We are not certain if these masks get washed as the children forget to take them out when they go home.
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Isn't that up to the parents? MayB a note with each child ..........
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Covid cases are rising as are hospital admissions :-\ :'(