Coronavirus discussion thread

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Tim of Fife Aug 2021 4:21pm, 11 Aug 2021 3,516 posts	0 Tim of Fife It is the inconsistency of the face covering rules which annoys me. I might sit in a airless and crowded restaurant for half-an-hour before my food arrives. But no mask. But I have to wear one on a well ventilated empty train.
Ultracat Aug 2021 4:43pm, 11 Aug 2021 13,617 posts	0 Ultracat Public transport is a necessity for some but going to a nightclub is a choice. I haven’t been in either of them since COVID.
Lip Gloss Aug 2021 4:54pm, 11 Aug 2021 53,829 posts	0 Lip Gloss I would certainly rather sit on a train or bus with a mask on than take myself into a nightclub…..as the saying goes: Drinks in - wits out.
PenW Aug 2021 5:20pm, 11 Aug 2021 2,300 posts	0 PenW In my view that ‘inconsistency’ allows choice. For those that need to use buses or trains and want to minimise risk, they can be reassured that face coverings are mandatory. If people want to do something higher risk (like going to an inside bar, restaurant or club where people are not wearing masks) then they can choose to do that. And people’s choices can vary for different reasons. I’m fairly cautious. If I was doing something very important to me like travelling to France (hopefully at the end of next month) and needed negative tests to get there I would be extra cautious in the run up to that time. If people weren’t wearing masks on the bus, I would walk or find an alternative as I don’t want to spend my ‘risk’ in that way. (The micro covid site on risk calculations is really interesting). I know other people are less cautious than me but for me it’s about choice on how to spend my risk.
paul the builder Aug 2021 5:25pm, 11 Aug 2021 7,234 posts	0 paul the builder Tim - how would you write the guidance that says a mask is not needed when the train is empty, but it is needed if the train is full? Would you rely on the famous public 'common sense' to judge the transition point between empty and full? Can you see how different people might draw the line in a different place? Can you understand it's more complicated than you (probably facetiously) suggest?
geordiegirl Aug 2021 6:08pm, 11 Aug 2021 15,353 posts	0 geordiegirl I see mask wearing, sanitising, distancing as a way to be safe for me and others. I will wear a mask where it’s advised and will wear one where it’s not if I feel it’s safer to do so. Sadly many won’t but that increases my desire to keep me safe. I did notice in Huntington at the weekend that mask wearing is becoming less common.
jda Aug 2021 8:02pm, 11 Aug 2021 10,612 posts	0 jda TBH if mask wearing peters out over time I won't shed a tear, so long as case numbers don't take off in the mean time. That's always likely to be the end result of this, the main questions are over the time scale and just how bad this next winter is going to get.
geordiegirl Aug 2021 10:06pm, 11 Aug 2021 15,355 posts	0 geordiegirl Totally jda I hate wearing them and look forward to a day they’re not needed. I would happily wear them if I had a cold/something in the future though. Now we know prevention we should use it.
HappyG(rrr) Aug 2021 7:26am, 12 Aug 2021 39,468 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Pub was weird last night. No masks except walking in and going to loo (and even that was patchy). Was great to see faces enjoying themselves and I joined in the laughter. But did think 2.5 hours in pretty close proximity to dozens of excitedly loud talking, laughing people might have been good for the soul but must have been a risk for the body! G
jda Aug 2021 7:53am, 12 Aug 2021 10,615 posts	0 jda With most people fully vaccinated the risks are really much closer to those of a winter flu outbreak. I wonder if the press will start to get more interested about those now, after all deaths from normal winter flu outbreaks can easily number in the tens per day, even 100 or more.