June 21st

I'm a photographer who's spent the last 40 years studying and photographing faces - I appreciate your view - but transmission of a deadly disease is a necessity, and communication without a full set of signals is an inconvenience.

And the mantra I learnt 30+ years ago 'The eyes are the gateway to the soul'

 

That's in the lab, not the real world. There is little doubt that masks have an affect that scientists believe should reduce the transmission of the virus. There is huge doubt on whether they actually do in real life settings.

 

It's not an inconvenience. Without communication we don't have society. Without interpersonal connection we feel isolated and can suffer from mental health issues up to the point of suicide.

Effective methods of reducing the transmission of a deadly disease are very desirable. Methods that are not very effective and have dozens of other issues aren't.

 

The report does take into account real life environments and factors.

 

It's a laboratory study on how well masks 'block' viruses. It is not a study of infection rates of people wearing masks in comparison to those not wearing them. It's like many I've read, it concludes wearing masks should work. But as the link I included illustrates, although they should work in theory, they don't appear to be doing in practice.

 

I'm aware of all that. I've had Sputnik, two doses 21 days apart (and still had plenty of antibodies left from when I was ill in December before having the vaccine). My main bugbear is the blatant profiteering going on with testing prices in the UK. They claim it's being done at cost price, when it clearly isn't if Russia and Turkey are offering the same test at around €20 a pop, or €30 in the airport with an hour turnaround. Yet the UK somehow can't do this, and charges £90 each time to use a completely convoluted system which seems to lose 10% of the tests anyway.

 

I wonder how many people have just read all 12 pages of this thread and:

A) Changed their opinion about restrictions
B) Feel better mentally having read it

My suspicion is 0. This is Brexit threads v.2. Just an observation. Appreciate nobody has to read it.

 

You've had the same thought as me. I've just skimmed the last 6 pages and its like brexit all over again. The same glib mantras condensed into a handful of words, contrarianism in full display smattered with exceptionalism and hypocrisy.

Grim beyond words.

 

Makes you wonder where we’d be if social media existed during the Cold War. We’d be arguing the rights and wrongs, living in a constant state of paranoia with every missile test, running for the shelters every time a Soviet plane came near the UK. Every day would feel like the end of the world.

 

I agree with the table service.it would be worth it paying a few extra bob per pint,so not to have to queue at the bar.

 

Can't say I feel any worse mentally!

 

Perhaps not but these threads always get personal and people tend to come off worse for it. Just a means of getting rid of frustration by taking it out on others. Not sure that is healthy or good for anyone.

 

But the facts are there we saw no halt or slow down when masks were introduced we went into 2 lockdowns while they were mandatory and saw the worst death and infection rates. I imagine when seat belts were 1st made law we saw a sharp decline in road fatalities and hospital admissions.

 

masks when worn properly will be part of a broadstroke of public health measures. The U.K. Was in the **** because. We locked down too late. We didn’t lock down hard enough. We kept the borders open. We have idiots running the govt who gave contracts to their mates from down the pub and sisters companies for essential stuff they failed to supply.. We did pretty much else wrong. We ignored scientific advice. Sent kids back to school pretending it wouldn’t change things. Let everyone travel around at Christmas so the Boris character could claim he saved Christmas.

In your example it would be like fitting a seatbelt to the outside of the car and not fitting any brakes and expecting it to work. Masks aren’t a magic stop Covid button. They work in conjunction with a whole host of other things if the other things are also done correctly.

if masks don’t work next time you have an operation tell the surgical staff not to bother with masks.

thank god we let the NHS administer the jab not Dildo Hardon.

 

Not denying the government got it wrong and still are regarding travel.

Analogys aren't your strong point are they comparing wearing a peice of cloth to stop covid comparing them to seatbelts and then saying they didn't slow the spread because the government got it wrong before... I'm out.

 

How about his direct comparison with medical staff wearing masks when operating on humans?

 

It is very simple. Masks are part of a strategy. If you implement the whole strategy it will work. If you don’t whilst they will still have an impact but it will be a lesser one. I’m unclear how you can’t understand something so absolutely basic.

But yeah if masks don’t work next time you have an op tell the surgical staff not to bother. Again if they just wore masks but operated on you with a rusty implement they had stuck down the bog you might still get an infection. It’s not the masks fault that will work within its own parameters.

 

Honestly my 10 year old has a greater understanding of infection but then she isn’t a graduate of the epidemiology section of the university of Facebook

 

I imagine it is an absolute pain for the bar staff and owners.

Last summer many places just packed it in after a few weeks

 

I did say physical benefit.
I do sympathize with you if you lost close ones because of the restrictions though.
We lost our dad directly through covid.
The measures must have eased pressure on the health service to allow routine work to resume. The mental health service seems to be inadequate looking at other threads on the subject.
To be clear, I'm not in favour of restrictions when not necessary. I don't think they ought to be relaxed so folk can go to the pub or for a burger though.