Coronavirus

[Witton Park]

Yeah that sounds about right. There’s a guy where I live who refuses to wear one in shops n that. He told me, quite aggressively, tother day “ I’ve SEEN the truth”
I sort of made that noise Mr Breeze makes. What is it? “Mmmh” or summat? Seemed appropriate
What harm can wearing one do?

The guy you know, I have no truck with people like him.

I don't agree with the policy, but I abide by it.

That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to consider it a stupid policy without sound basis.

It also poses problems for a number of people. My wife is unable to wear one. Maybe she can manage 5-10 minutes popping in to a store if they insisted, although she'd probably settle for a place that accepted her exemption card as recommended to her by her GP.

But some places have refused to accept exemptions, including her workplace. So she's been forced out of work since they went to mandatory face masks - they won't even accept visors.
250 people - a number at home blocked from their workplace.

I'd love to see their risk assessment and how they assess that going beyond even the Govt guidance is going to help - especially as the cases they have occurred after they adopted the policy.

So if it is a bug-bear to me, it is because I have seen personally how it can affect someone. This isn't an awkward person. My wife started there in July 2018 when we finished fostering. Had not had a day off ill, was always first in line when they wanted staff to work over time and she is fast and skilled at her work.

She really is a model employee and is being made out as if she's an awkward rebel - she isn't like me

We had a call from some independent occupational health guy at HQ down south. He said he understood her issue as his partner had been attacked from behind with the arm and hand coming around her face and she also couldn't wear a face covering due to the heightened anxiety it caused.
Imagine sitting in your workplace for 8 hours, every day until when? Your anxiety heightened, your airways restricted, you heart racing....

So by all means, be comfortable that you are OK with this policy, but don't diminish how it can adversely affect a not insignificant number of genuine people just because you can do it, and you see a few chancers who can't be arsed.

[Fellbeast]

I can understand it being difficult in your wife’s position witton but the exception doesn’t prove the rule. There’s no reason to think all of us shouldn’t wear masks if you’re wife can’t. Presumably she’s got one of those visors instead now?

[Graham Breeze]

But why make a fuss about wearing face masks at all? It’s such a simple thing to do. Surgeons and dentists have been wearing them since time immemorial. They’re reassuring to others. They show you care about others and not just yourself. And they almost certainly reduce the potential to spread covid if you’ve got it and reduce the chances of catching it you haven’t. But even if they had zero effect it’s no biggy to pop on a mask.

Absolutely!

I sometimes wear a doubled over black buff. Rather fetching. Makes me look like Jesse James. All the cashiers in Waitrose open their tills and throw money at me.

Although women throwing money at me is not that unusual.

[Travs]

I've never worn one of those paper maskes, just wear a race-buff... much more comfortable.

In other news... a close relative of mine who has been furloughed from the NHS for the majority of the year, but always been told she is to return to her job in January... has now been told her job no longer exists...

I don't post this as any kind of political point, nor do i at this stage know too much of the finer details... but i do find it strange that when the govt/NHS are throwing around comments about being "overstretched", they are doing this to someone who is very much at a hands-on level within the NHS...

[Witton Park]

Presumably she’s got one of those visors instead now?

Did you read my post?

and even if they allowed visors, try operating a sewing machine through a perspex needle guard, whilst wearing glasses, with a visor over your face.

I never said the exception proved the rule - but it affects around 4-5% of the production staff at her factory and incidentally they are all female.

[Witton Park]

Absolutely!

I sometimes wear a doubled over black buff. Rather fetching. Makes me look like Jesse James. All the cashiers in Waitrose open their tills and throw money at me.

Although women throwing money at me is not that unusual.

and when you are in Waitrose, who are a sister company to my wife's place, you won't see mandatory masks for the staff - for good reason.

[Witton Park]

Perhaps someone would like to peer review this?

"Virus cultures were negative for all asymptomatic positive and repositive cases, indicating no “viable virus” in positive cases detected in this study."

At first glance it would seem that the asymptomatic tag might be a red herring. They are just healthy people who have tested positive.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19802-w

[Mike T]

Perhaps someone would like to peer review this?

"Virus cultures were negative for all asymptomatic positive and repositive cases, indicating no “viable virus” in positive cases detected in this study."

At first glance it would seem that the asymptomatic tag might be a red herring. They are just healthy people who have tested positive.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19802-w

From the paper:

'The screening of the 9,865,404 participants without a history of COVID-19 found no newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, and identified 300 asymptomatic positive cases with a detection rate of 0.303 (95% CI 0.270–0.339)/10,000.'

I don't know what that is trying to say. I suspect there have been some translation problems.

We do know that people who have had Covid can excrete non infectious viral fragments for a long time, and that equally viruses and viral fragments can exist in the environment for weeks.

[MattPo]

Perhaps someone would like to peer review this?

"Virus cultures were negative for all asymptomatic positive and repositive cases, indicating no “viable virus” in positive cases detected in this study."

At first glance it would seem that the asymptomatic tag might be a red herring. They are just healthy people who have tested positive.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19802-w

Do you ever feel that you are a little obsessed with this thread? However much time you spend researching about CV doesn't seem to be doing much good or changing the situation. Just saying.....

[Mike T]

Interesting article by a Consultant at the coal face:

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...paign=sharebar