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[Alex Atkin UK]

Was dismayed on my trip back from the hospital on Sunday at seeing groups of youths just hanging around like everything is normal, also very few people with face masks on in general.

Most concerning was there were people stood just outside the main entrance of the hospital with no masks on, which seems the absolute stupidest place to do that as people have to walk past them.

The rule was you have to wear a mask in the hospital, but there was nobody around until you reached the departments to actually enforce it.

[sevenlayermuddle]

and how do these local outbreaks occur? by not complying with social distancing.
if you don't come into close enough contact with another person and follow the correct hygene instructions then your chances of catching anything (never mind covid-19) are extremely low.

but i guess standing in a massive queue to get into primark, or sitting on the beach is far more important.

No Chenks,  nobody here is defending the people who are taking increased chances.  But even if everybody tried hard to comply, the risk may become extremely low, but it is an extremely virulent disease and outbreaks are possible even when the risk is extremely low.

Looking at Leicester again, it is actually interesting that their local BLM seem focused on first week in June, so it seems to me that it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the larger outbreak now being dealt with, had its roots in the protests.  I would hope that the tracking and tracing process would be able to confirm or deny that.  The UK does, thankfully, remain pretty good at putting facts and figures in the public domain.  I do keep an eye on ONS and other Covid-19 reports, and have seen nothing yet to suggest such an association with the protests, but it'll be interesting to see if anything does unfold.

[chenks]

In Scotland

The use of face coverings will become mandatory in shops in Scotland from 9 July as coronavirus restrictions are eased, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

however, there is never any mention of approved places to get such things, or what is preffered and what should be avoided.

got to laugh as some of the comments peope are already posting about this

I will not be seriously jeopardising my own health by wearing a mask. I want to be able to breath!

oh the irony!

and seeing some of the americans repsonse to face mask.. "my body my choice" - usually from replublicans. probably the same people that object to abortion, strange how it's their body for facemasks, but not their body for anything else.

[sevenlayermuddle]

however, there is never any mention of approved places to get such things, or what is preffered and what should be avoided.

Where have you looked?   Unless it’s different in Scotland...

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering

Also available from High Street chemists who, I am sure, would be happy to advice in-store.

https://www.boots.com/health-pharmacy/surgical-reusable-face-masks

[chenks]

i know that's a government website, but they are seriously saying to cut up t-shirts etc and make one yourself?
now that such a rule is in place they should be providing access to getting these - either free or via approved stores.
it shouldn't be up to the public to work it out for themselves - as we already know the public are morons.

of course, you also need an approved recognised method for showing you are exempt from it, otherwise you may be refused access to a shop for not wearing a mask.

and have you seen the price of the disposable masks on the boots website? at least 50p per mask (but you have to buy like 200 at a time to get them at that price).

[sevenlayermuddle]

I personally went for the Boots ‘soft loop’ masks.  They seem well made, and good value.

So far I have only worn one of my box of 50 masks, as an experiment when working with solder, as the fumes sometimes irritate my airways. I know it’s a non-approved use, but my impression is it helps a lot in that usage.  So far, for soldering, I’ve just reused the same one over and over, it seems to be lasting forever.   

For Covid-risk situations I’d probably want a fresh one much more often.  I’ve not restarted shopping yet, but  when I do my round trip to the supermarket costs between about £1.50 and £5.00 in petrol.  So another 70p for a face mask, even if worn just once, isn’t going to be a huge impact.

But for anybody that hard up, I’m sure there’s scope for (say) Tesco to buy them much cheaper in bulk, and hand them out on request. 

Edit...  PS: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/306955202

Available in tens, and cheaper than Boots.

[chenks]

point i was making was, that to get a mask at 50p each, you have to buy 200 of them, so it'll cost you £105.
however, i can't see any shop handing them out for free no matter how large a store they are. that's just opening themselves up for possible law suits for providing a mask to someone who may then catch covid!

[sevenlayermuddle]

point i was making was, that to get a mask at 50p each, you have to buy 200 of them, so it'll cost you £105.
however, i can't see any shop handing them out for free no matter how large a store they are. that's just opening themselves up for possible law suits for providing a mask to someone who may then catch covid!

Ah, your post crossed with my PS, see last message.

But even my box of 50 at Boots, was only £35.  And that was the slightly more expensive ones.

Whilst on the subject of Boots, they also had a good online stock of alcohol hand sanitiser in quite big bottles, last time I looked.  I’ll be using more of that too, when I do start getting out and about again.

[tickmike]

Leicester is only 25 miles from me so I hope this wind that's blowing does not come from there 
Bradford (another place they are keeping a eye on) and Leicester are similar mix of people !, the rest of this sentence has been deleted before I get in trouble !.

I said to Mrs tickmike we will see a spike soon after all these protests, football crowds like in Liverpool .

As said before we have some standard 'Surgical' face masks but for more crowded places I am looking for FFP3

They are £9 each per pack of 50 

(The above meet the guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and are recommended for use by the WHO during outbreaks of SARS, Avian Flu and Coronavirus.)

This is a uk medical supplier, I do not want to buy from an unknown source eg ebay etc.

I think my chest has been affected by 'soldering fumes' and also I worked in a place where 'Blue Asbestos' ( the deadliest type) was used, but not by me, a lot of the Insulation guys have long died from it.

 So now I used a p3 grade face mask with side filters, when doing any dusty, or any fumes, Painting etc DIY to try and not to upset my chest.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Of interest, is anybody thinking about eye protection?

I have a pair of safety goggles with a good seal, big enough fit over my glasses but adequately vented to stop them steaming up.  I wear that I wear when, for example, using a strimmer.  Seems to me that when in shops etc, worn with a decent mask, they may be a little extra protection?   I’d feel like a twit, but heh, that’s a feeling you’ll all know by now that I must be accustomed to.

I guess main downside would be  after they’ve been sneezed or coughed upon, I get lazy and mishandle them during removal, making matters even worse.

[Weaver]

My wife already had a supply of face masks because of problems with handling straw, which has made her ill in the past. Donkey straw supplied from the last place was really musty and horrible; we might end up not using some of it as if we don’t fancy handling it then how are the donkeys supposed to be eating it? (Living on grass all day now anyway, not so interested in straw at night time)

[jelv]

Disturbing thread seen on Twitter this morning posted by Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer: GP, Chief Executive Cambridgeshire Local Medical Committee, GPC UK & BMA Council Member; Deputy Chair UK Conference of LMCs.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1280272077669498881.html

Very good questions towards the end:

Doctors are looking to Autumn/Winter with dread. How to roll out a socially distanced seasonal flu vaccination programme? How can we jab the greatest number safely?

[sevenlayermuddle]

Sounds like maybe she should change her name, to Dr. Hindsight?

The feasibility of this year’s flu jab is a worry.  But it strikes me it might be balanced by the fact that, if social distancing measures are still in place and working, fewer people will get flu anyway.   I’m sure the decision-making people will be considering these sorts of things.

I’m actually beginning to worry that if the measures mean I don’t get any colds or flus this year, will I lose some immunity to them in future?    Some researchers are investigating the possibility that people who only get mild symptoms from Covid-19 might be the same people who recently had a heavy cold, some of which have for decades been caused by a different Coronavirus. And in the inevitable subsequent waves of Covid, there will be a lot fewer people who had recent colds. 

[chenks]

I’m actually beginning to worry that if the measures mean I don’t get any colds or flus this year, will I lose some immunity to them in future?

you might want to read up on that, because your worries are somwewhat misguided.
https://medical.mit.edu/covid-19-updates/2020/06/all-social-distancing-weakening-our-immune-systems

[kitz]

^ good link.

It covers the concepts of social distancing and the immune system quite nicely - even mentioning the effects stress can have on the immune system.   
I've seen other people wonder about the effects of social distancing can have on the immune system, so worth the read