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[DaveM]

Here's a whole bunch of candidates https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/13/30-year-old-dies-covid-party-texas
DM

[TailUK]

Never underestimate the power of Human stupidity.  These are the same kind of people that don't believe in vaccinating their children.  I bet they'll believe in vaccinating when the Covid 19 is released.   

[malcolmfrary]

While everybody has a right to an opinion, there is still a death penalty for stupidity.  Not a man made law, one of Mother Natures.  She doesn't offer either an appeal or a"restart game" option.  Or a trial with due process.

[roycv]

Hi TailUK I wish that were true.  There will be a group who would die, on principal, rather than be told what to do even if for their own good.

I remember that vandal of a doctor who threw doubt on the NMR vaccine in 2002/3 (he is now struck off and advising DT of USA).  It was at the time my granddaughter would have her vaccination.  When someone throws up a doubt for their own benefit on something that has been a common procedure, you have no real facts and have to make your own decision which, fortunately, did get her vaccinated.

 But in both cases there has to be a 95% acceptance to make it safe for all.  I hope that it is enforced for children at school to restore the relative safety of our society.
regards
Roy

[Colin Bishop]

A high proportion of the population are unbelievably gullible and even culpable.

Last week a friend of mine forwarded an email to me that she said had been circulated in her son's office and was from the City of London Police warning about a mobile phone scam to steal all your money. It took me less than a minute to check on the CoL Police site that this was a hoax and they knew all about it. In the meantime of course the hoax has been gaily circulated to God knows how many people, few of whom have probably felt the urge to check it out.

When I pointed this out to my friend her reaction was 'if you say so' but her sister in Scotland had received a simialr email last week - go figure!

I know that just under 50% of the population must statistically be below average intelligence but sometimes you think it must be more!

Another intelligent friend of mine was trying to convince me that the Chinese actually have a cure for Covid-19. The evidence is that nobody in the Chinese Politburo has caught it. (as if they'd tell us if they had!) And who knows who they are anyway.

Unfortunately far too many people believe what they want to believe and reject or are incapable of assessing scientific evidence.

Colin

[Baldrick]

The really stupid thing is that Boris and his cohorts have for the last 4 months, been so insistent that wearing a face mask is of no real benefit, but come tomorrow it will become mandatory to wear one in shops.   Wonder if they will also insist of it in restaurants  ?

[Colin Bishop]

I think what it all comes down to is that the scientific 'experts' still have no clear idea of how  Covid-19 is transmitted and therefore what methods will effectively guard against it.

Common sense suggests that in the open air if you don't come too close to strangers you will be OK but if you spend a couple of hours in a crowded pub then the risks go up considerably.

Mrs B and I ventured out today and visited a Hobbycraft store and Garden Centre near Worthing. Both establishments had relatively few customers and one way systems so there was no need to get up close to other people. We did wear masks in store although I pulled mine down when there was nobody else anywhere near. Most people were not wearing masks, I think that might change soon.

We then carried on to Littlehampton river and seafront for a walk along the prom where there was a brisk wind blowing and again not very many pepole and didn't feel the need to mask up. We bought a snack at a cafe on the seafront and ate it outside as we were reluctant to eat indoors at the moment.

It's all a case of mitigating the risks.

Colin

[Baldrick]

agreed, if you are in a smallish shop and the place is heaving masks seem a good thing . But our local sainsbury's which is one of their grade A stores and resembles an airship hanger was so empty you had the aisles to yourself. But I bet the way our half baked administration arrange it is that you will be forced to wear masks in both.

[KitS]

Masks are meant to be mandatory on public transport, but when I took a bus to get my car back from its MoT (failed.... ) I was the only person aboard any of the three buses that I saw wearing a mask.


And that included the drivers! 

[Colin Bishop]

Not quite Darwin Awards but a reflection of the society we live in.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-nottinghamshire-53390572/coronavirus-thieves-break-into-pregnant-nhs-worker-s-car

Colin

[Tug Fanatic]

Masks are meant to be mandatory on public transport, but when I took a bus to get my car back from its MoT (failed.... ) I was the only person aboard any of the three buses that I saw wearing a mask.


And that included the drivers! 

That is just plain ignorant & unforgivable. The point is that my mask does nothing much for me but might protect you from getting an infection that I carry. My mask protects you and your mask protects me. I have no sympathy for these uncaring ignorant people who don't care about the welfare of others.
I am in a vulnerable group and I fell a lot less safe now than I did a couple of weeks ago. Friends tell me that in shops some of the other customers are not as conscious of distancing as they were.

[Colin Bishop]

Quite agree but HM Government are giving mixed messages. No real leadership as such. It's all rather depressing really.

Colin

[roycv]

There was a point made on R4 news yesterday morning that if we all wore disposable masks and changed them daily there would be an enormous waste problem and potentially harmful one at that of 60,000 tons in a year.  So even if you take just 6 months and halve the usage the numbers are still big.

It all needs some careful thought our government is prone to unintended consequences.
Regards
Roy

[Plastic - RIP]

The forcing of masks is pretty pointless .... Moderated   

(too political?) Definitely  - Admin
 

[Plastic - RIP]

There's a good breakdown of the effectiveness of mask wearing from a US doctor in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1z664H7EiA

[Tug Fanatic]

The simple masks required for this can be washed so no waste no pollution - even a scarf is better than nothing. I don't doubt that you can buy examples that are disposable but then that is the way of our society.

If wearing masks reduces the risk for most people then I am afraid that the small group who cannot wear them were not safe to go out anyway & I am not sure what could be done to make it safer for them..

Pictures that I have seen suggest that most people who are wearing masks do so reasonably well.

[Colin Bishop]

We have bought a couple of washable sports masks. Better to wear than the disposable type.

We also have a few disposables as well.

Colin

[KitS]

Interesting that the Government say that mask wearing in shops '...will be enforced by the Police...'


Really?


Are there enough policemen so they can have one in every shop in the country? And presumably the criminal fraternity will have a field day as a result! 

[Tug Fanatic]

Interesting that the Government say that mask wearing in shops '...will be enforced by the Police...'


Really?


Are there enough policemen so they can have one in every shop in the country? And presumably the criminal fraternity will have a field day as a result! 

I agree that this is a big problem & I suspect that the desire to comply is now less in the population than it was. Perhaps it will go up when the numbers start increasing again.

[BarryM]

agreed, if you are in a smallish shop and the place is heaving masks seem a good thing . But our local sainsbury's which is one of their grade A stores and resembles an airship hanger was so empty you had the aisles to yourself. But I bet the way our half baked administration arrange it is that you will be forced to wear masks in both.

You may be correct in both instances but what about the 'in-betweens' - mid-size stores where it is not clear what the sensible action is? Better to play safe, keep it simple, eliminate argument and wear a mask at all times.
Barry M

[Martin (Admin)]

 
BBC: Coronavirus: Face coverings in England's shops to be compulsory from 24 July  -  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53397617

[TheLongBuild]

I can see a sudden upsurge of people claiming they are asthmatic when they are not..

[tonyH]

Surely the wearing of masks is an indication that we've acknowledged that the world is not as we knew it. We may not like it and our lords and masters may have problems with growing up but it's in the wind and while masks per se are debateable we better learn to live with it.

[DaveM]

I really didn't intend my OP to provoke a lengthy debate about the wearing of masks. In fact a Darwin Award is 'made' to honour those who improve the gene pool by extracting themselves from it by killing themselves through their own stupidity, whereas the refusal to wear a mask is generally accepted as more likely to kill others. Like Tom Hanks, I really don't understand why people refuse to do it.
Dave M

[tonyH]

I thought that the post was about people and the mask matter was a hook to hang it on?