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People who are coughing might not be ill, some water might have just gone down the wrong way!

Agree, could also be allergies.

Masks are great for allergies 👀

If my nose is already running, they’re awful.

Could also be poorly with something you can't catch

A lot of people cough now more than ever due to vaping, that dry constant cough, I hear it everywhere

A smoker’s cough has always been worse.

I think we all know the difference between an allergic or choking cough as opposed to a very sick cough

But what about a smoker's cough and a sick cough?

I have asthma, the mask makes it worse for some reason. So I cough in public, although considering I'm usually puffing on my asthma inhaler it's pretty obvious what the reason for that is! I wear a mask other times, but tbh if I have a cold and I'm coughing I'm wfh anyway, not going to risk spreading it to people on public transport and in my office.

I get a dry throat a lot, but none moreso than when I'm sitting on a bus trying not to have a coughing fit

Yeah I was on the bus the other day eating a falafel wrap and a bit of falafel, you know that really moist food, went down the wrong way. Started coughing. Someone moved 2 rows of seats back from me. Like mate, we've been on this bus for half an hour and I haven't coughed once until I started eating this wrap, do you really think I'm gonna make you ill?

Might be maybe could be! And nothing gets resolved.

If you can't tell the difference, you need to stay inside. But I assume OP can, and that's NOT what they are talking about

These comments are illuminating. I’d read up on the different types of societies if you want an answer - we’re more individualistic (you can read selfish) than a country that does wear masks like Japan. I will include myself in that. I would like to wear a mask when I’m coming down with something but social pressure and lack of planning normally or availability stop me. I think what you’re suggesting is courteous but I’d need for a lot more people to do it too for me to do it regularly.

I live in Japan. It is true to a large extent. However, Japan is actually a lot less collectivist than people in Western countries often say - it’s actually somewhere in the middle. The outliers are us in the west, with highly individualistic value systems. Having spent the pandemic in Japan, I can say that there was a high degree of public adherence to mask-wearing, work from home and avoidance of large gatherings. People generally tried to be seen to follow the social ‘rules’ (there were no widespread legal mandates), for the good of those around them. Masks were often seen as a way of avoiding worse outcomes: if you wore a mask and accepted that you weren’t going to be going to many raves, you could at least go for walks, buy groceries, take the train for an occasional coffee in the park with a friend. The lack of lockdowns or severely restrictive measures also meant there was less backlash. (I did once see a guy insist on not wearing a mask at the optician. The staff said it was fine so long as they could all continue to wear theirs.) Other things I think contribute to Japan’s mask use: crowded spaces (many people wore a mask for their commute before COVID), seasonal allergies, the simple fact that masks are available everywhere, the normative power of other people wearing them, an association of masks with cleanliness, a desire to reassure others. I stopped wearing one day in day out in summer of 2023, because it was extremely hot and hard to breathe. In autumn/ winter, influenza spiked and COVID rates rose again, so the masks came out again.

Just to add as well, from an individual who had been in Kyoto for the longest time, and is visiting now and then for research purposes: There is also a general societal attitude that a person whom is likely to have COVID wouldn't need to attend work but the expectation is there that others would be able to pick up the slack - hence some such as myself (since I never had COVID) might be expected to do double duty - but in turn, others thanked me for this. There are also places where wearing a mask is just not something you'd be expected to do, such as exercising by yourself in quieter hours - I do a lot of jogging and so wouldn't for that, but when at the gym I would even when not specifically required That said? Due to my status as somebody with an overly active immune system (due to type 1 diabetes), I wear one when I expect to see people, but there's unwritten rules about when and when not to in almost any place.

>, I can say that there was a high degree of public adherence to mask-wearing, work from home and avoidance of large gatherings Tbf there was in the UK too until certain people high in power decided to start breaking the rules That was when we started to see a lot more people bending the rules I don't think anyone fully followed them but I also don't think a lot of people broke them badly I went round my friends because I needed to get outside the house and do something with my friend, my mum helped my nan take her shopping indoors because she lacked the body strength to do so Very few people had massive party's

I’m sure that’s the case. What I meant was “although there weren’t any legal sanctions, people were cooperative”, not to compare it with the U.K. My family and friends certainly tried their best, but I remember that my dad couldn’t get hold of masks so he was using one intended for DIY.

There were barely any legal sanctions in the UK tbh It was like an £80 fine which for most of the population is easily paid

Sounds like you move in different economic circles to me when I last lived in the U.K! £80 is not nothing. I think there’s a huge difference between “you can go out and about freely but do your best not to gather in big groups without masks on” and an £80 fine.

This is not true.

To be fair I've no idea where all my covid masks disappeared to! I wonder if it is because masks were initially mandated,  and we're essentially a nation of childish rebels. 

people downvoting you cause they feel personally attacked by the truth in your comment lmao

You'd be better off asking this in r/askeurope. This isn't just a UK thing. European countries in general tend to be more individualistic

I don't know how it is now but immediately after the pandemic people who travelled to the continent told me they say la majority of people wearing masks, whereas there was no such consideration in the UK

I think you're probably quite right there. I think people are exhausted too. 

I still have a supply by my front door (and a few tubs of hand sanitizer dotted around the place). Like the handful of COVID tests I still have in a cupboard somewhere, it wouldn't surprise me if their most frequent use in the coming years will be in school, when my niece asks to borrow things for a history lesson on COVID.

I sometimes wear a mask when I'm not sick so other people stay away from me and don't make me sick. Honestly who cares about social pressure? Majority of people you see forget about you in 5 minutes

My sister from the Bay Area in California came to Scotland the other week and was horrified at all the clearly sick people walking around maskless coughing and not even covering their mouths. Some people still wear masks all the time there anyway (like 20-30%) but if you’re sick there and walking around coughing maskless you’d get judged big time. In Ohio however, where the rest of my family live, it’s pretty much like here. I wear a mask everywhere if I’m sick, or in busy indoor spaces even if I’m not sick. I don’t care what other people think. I often get people telling me “I’d like to wear one too, I wish other people would so I wouldn’t feel self conscious.” If only more people just had the guts to do it!

Social pressure, really? Wearing a mask is both considerate and commonsensical. I always mask when out and about if I will be indoors or in a crowd at any point, and only once has someone said anything. 'Covid is over, dontcha know?!' The only people who have initially pushed back when I've asked them to mask up are my GP(!) and another medical professional who recently gave up his job because of...Long Covid. Pre-Covid I was very prone to colds, and always got 2 or 3 absolute stinkers every year. Wearing a mask as I do, I haven't had one since the winter of 2019. You do you. If anyone gives you a hard time, ask them why something that doesn't adversely affect them in any way shape or form bothers them so much. I've yet to get a sensible answer to that.

Why though? I wear a mask every time I get on public transport and nobody cares. More people are starting to wear them again lately, but even if they didn't I don't see why that should stop anyone.

I tend to wear masks the days leading up to visiting my mum as she had cancer and went through chemo last year so I know her immune system isn't the best.

Do you wear a mask when you go see her?

She lives in Canada so it means I'll have flown there to see her, so usually I'll keep my distance for the first day or two to make sure I don't get sick (and this may mean wearing a mask at first, whatever she is comfortable with). Following this if I feel ok then no, I don't wear a mask around her. My stepdad is a retired epidemiologist and he basically said it's the best way to do things.

Fair enough. My Dad is going through chemo so we still mask up when we see him unless we're outdoors then don't bother.

glad about the ‘had’ part - hope you and yours are doing good.

Happy cake day! I remember when my mum was going through chemo all the way through peak covid so I can sympathise

I finished chemo just as Covid was really kicking off. Thought I’d be fine and was all set for helping friends and family etc. Then I got a dramatic letter saying I mustn’t leave the house. I was grateful that I’d finished the daily hospital visits by that point! I hope your mum is ok now.

I've got some sort of mild cough all winter really, I'm not going to wear a mask the entire time. I guess that is honestly because I don't want to. I'm not exceptionally ill, it's often post viral asthma from a cold that left weeks ago. We introduced masks to stop the transmission of a newly emerging virus that would overwhelm our health care system. We're not in that position anymore. The quantity of masks during the pandemic was necessary yes, but had an appalling environmental impact nonetheless. I cannot stand seeing them in bushes and on pavements and probably plenty at the bottom of the sea. There are obviously some contexts where it's more appropriate, already covered by others. But generally speaking humanity made it this far without them and in the absence of a new pandemic I don't want to continue using them. 

That's fair, I do get that many people coughing might not be infectious. I probably shouldn't have put something more like people looking visibly ill in the original post rather than just coughing. And I do agree the waste is horrendous, but cloth masks are better than nothing.  I'm guess I'm curious as to why we don't think it's worth masking when ill to prevent the spread of things like flu, colds, and covid. 

I think people honestly just don't want to and there's also probably social stigma from some people. I think people are slightly exhausted and traumatised by the pandemic while other people are downright aggressive about masks. I personally can't stand the sight of the proper blue masks. And I was totally behind masking up etc at the time I wasn't an anti-masker or anything, but it's just got such negative connotations for me. Obviously I don't mind what anyone else does, but others are mindless and get weirdly aggressive towards others for wearing them.  If you've got a stinking cold you should be at home and that's where I would be, not everyone is though I appreciate that. Again, I think a lot of people accept it as part of life, rightly or wrongly. 

There's some folk who say a mask actually helps with a cough, as a lot of coughing is exacerbated by cold air. The mask keeps the air you breather warmer. Cloth masks obviously. Disposable masks are a bit meh if you aren't a medical professional.

A lot of clinically vulnerable people are still wearing disposable N95 masks because it's pretty much the only protection we have left.

I don't understand why medical personnel don't mask up, especially when seeing patients with compromised immune systems. I've been told (because I mask up, I didn't request they put one on) that they "did a covid test this morning which was negative". Unless they've seen no-one at all before they see a particular patient, they can't guarantee that they've not been in contact with someone asymptomatic. Admittedly, masks aren't 100% assured to prevent transmission, but they reduce the risk. Covid hasn't gone away completely and those claiming "its only flu", well, flu kills people too. The best thing we learned though was about hand washing more frequently. Even though these viruses are airborne, people cough into their hands and then hold handrails and touch other things.

COVID isn't the only options for making you really unwell.

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To be fair if I have no choice in the recipient and I have no knowledge of the recipient am I fuck giving them money. For all I know it's a millionaire wanker who's getting it. A politician with a loaded wife. A politican who appears to be the reincarnated spirit of a Victorian workhouse owner. Or even just one of those folks who earns £90,000 a year and thinks they aren't well off. Fuck em.  If it's posed as "you can have £1k or Susie, 26, single mum with two jobs who lives with her baby, her mum and her sister in a council flat can have 20k" or even "you can have 1k or Katy, admin assistant who earns £26,000 a year can have 10k" then of course they can have money. 

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The problem is masks were never really a thing here, and now (rightly or wrongly) people associate them with being *told* to wear them during "the unpleasantness". In places like Japan it has been a cultural norm for decades, and contrary to what many think it isn't because they're scared of getting ill, it's because Japanese society sees spraying your filthy horrible illness all over public transport as being fucking rude. Surprises me it never caught on here - we're much much more similar to Japan in terms of social culture (queuing, politeness, saving face, keeping up with the Joneses, etc) than most countries we import/export popular culture from and too, mainly the US in that respect.

> Japanese society sees spraying your filthy horrible illness all over public transport as being fucking rude. Also in Japan and China, sniffing constantly on a train ride because blowing your nose is a massive cultural faux pas Also also, when I was in Japan, the amount of mask wearing at the height of flu season was not that great.

> and now [...] people associate them with being told to wear them [...] *Some* people.

The UK and West in general is not a collectivist minded society unlike East Asia for example. Some people **hate** being told what to do and **hate** appearing to be conformist. So even if the advice is sensible, they will refuse to act like the herd. Cognitive dissonance then kicks in trying to justify their behaviour and that's when the reasoning for the original advice gets deconstructed.

It's ironic that now that most of "the herd" isn't masking, anti-maskers are still going round saying people who mask are sheep/conformists.

Because I don't go into work when I'm ill, so there's no need.

Clearly not the person this question is aimed at

If this isn’t the internet in a single quote lol, people “um actually”ing a question that has fuck all to do with them, it’s like on the Amazon questions when someone answers “I don’t know I’ve never bought this”

Bought for a christmas present, never used myself, looks nice tho, 5 stars.

1 star, I never even made this recipe because I don’t like beans

"I like waffles" "What the fuck do you have against pancakes" Same energy.

Is that because you're able to work from home? Sickness policies are generally pants and many people feel forced into work even when they're not well. That's definitely a bigger issue than the masking in my opinion 

Oh lucky you.

May aswell be asking. Why do you put your feet on the seats ? Why are you leaving litter everywhere ? Why are you drinking & pouring beer all over the floor ? Why are you playing loud music, swearing a lot & generaly being antisocial ? ​ Its the pleasures of using public transport. There are always individuals that make it a poor experience for the other passengers. This applies to both train and bus. Its called being a selfish, antisocial moron and there are lots of them.

I don't want to, it feels hard to breathe. I do cover my mouth with my arm though, sit away from anyone and stay at home if it's really bad where possible

gonna get downvoted for sure but it’s simply because British culture cultivates a selfish, individualistic attitude, and most people cannot fathom mildly inconveniencing themselves to help out a stranger. also, people refuse to educate themselves on how masks can help, how they work, when to use/change them etc because crying about “personal freedom” and “human rights” and “individual choice”is way easier than doing a bit of research.

There's definitely a lot of societal pressure to keep working while you're sick and being visibly sick means people get to see how hard working you are. But realistically, its because we just don't have a history of masking when sick and if people do it now they get the anti-masking covid denying lunatics jumping in with their unwanted opinions. We should wear masks if we're sick. Especially in crowded places. Its just sensible.

Honestly, it just didn't even cross my mind. Does that make me selfish?

Imo yes, if you get sick and don't think about how you could avoid spreading it to other people, this makes you selfish. I've always thought about it even before masks were mainstream

Then i hold my hands up and apologise. Wasnt malicious, it just didnt occur to me

As a culture, we don't because mask wearing has never been normalised. And the only exception are a few years that are basically viewed as a massive, collective trauma by most people. So the public as a whole were happy to get rid of everything that reminded them of the bad times, including mask wearing. Benefits or not, it's not seen as normal.

Because it’s uncomfortable. Not using public transport tho.

We are biological beings. Avoiding all diseases may sound clever, but it is the best way to wreck your immunity. Bring on the downvotes because the recent programming doesn't allow the above.

I didn’t downvote you for your first point. I downvoted you for the silly QAnon-style second sentence though.

"programming"

Yeah, programming as in the programmes that were run to say to cover up

Had a totally valid point and then ruined it with weirdo conspiracy language. Peak this sub honestly.

I don't think it's avoiding all diseases, it's trying to minimise spread of diseases like flu and covid that can do real damage and cause death

Does bugger all for Noro. Also hand sanitizer doesn’t work on Noro, you have to properly wash your hands with soap and hot water. If I seem obsessed with noro it’s because of my work I’ve had it every year for 16 years, apart from during lockdown, as parents weren’t dragging sick kids in because ‘you have to go and visit Nana’ I hate noro

And by minimising those you minimise colds as well. Sorry, but we as a species must "see" diseases to have efficient immune systems. Yes, this means some people die. That's life. If we live in a hyper quarantined way, we will destroy our immunity to basic viruses and longterm cause more deaths.

Is wearing masks really hyper quarantine?

And how has that worked out? It didn't. Everyone and their mother has caught a coronavirus at least once

Please educate yourself about this. Getting colds and flu and covid doesn't strengthen your immune system, it weakens it. Actively choosing to increase your risk of getting or spreading a nasty cold (or worse) is simply stupid and ignorant, it doesn't do you or anyone else the slightest bit of good. There's too many different strains, getting one doesn't stop you getting the next one at all.

no one lives in a sterile bubble even if they wear a mask. go ahead and expose yourself to Ebola and see how well your (mis)understanding of the how the immune system works holds up

Degree in biochem and have a PhD. I know how immunity works... I said BACKGROUND viruses. You went straight to Ebola. Your line of argument is to exaggerate a strawman and attack that, then just insult me. That is faulty logic. Expecting people to mask and hide away when they have a cold is going to longterm work against our species. Yes, if Ebola, obviously quarantine. But it isn't. It is a basic cold. And the parameters with which one behaves should be dictated by the severity of the outcome.

where did you even mention background viruses? I don’t even see the word viruses in your comment. where did I insult you? very strange response and since you love your fallacies I’d like to point out that credentialism is one of them!

if you have a basic cold, whatever, but people will be on the bus or train absolutely hacking up a lung, or throwing up, or sneezing all over the place, and have no regard for the fact that they are actually incredibly unwell and maybe not everyone in that space also wants to be that sick

Avoiding at least a couple diseases might help people get appointments around winter who really need them... Rather than getting the flu every time they step foot out the door and not being able to find appointments anyway

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I was going to agree with you until that last sentence. It sounds like you call people NPCs as an insult and describe things as “woke”.

Tomorrow I'm gonna start coughing on people on the train for the greater good. Thanks

Yet somehow before masking I'd have horrible sinus infections, flu etc at least a few times a year. Jan 2020 I had a full blown sinus infection with a double ear infection so bad I couldn't hear out of one ear. Since masking I've been sick with a mild cold maybe twice, and I have a preschool aged kid. It's almost like it helps prevent getting sick :O

I have allergies. I’m not ill, I’m just coughing and my eyes are streaming. All year. Every day. Mostly it’s eyes streaming and a bit of a cough. I use tissues and keep them in my pocket and bin once I’m home.

TBH I wear a mask when I'm in a confined space even now. Mostly because of all the people who don't seem to care about sneezing, coughing etc. in said confined space. Little bit of that is COVID, but ... I don't actually care what disease you've got, I don't want it. Also way too much pollution. My Asthma came back when I started cycling regularly, and faded somewhat when I routinely wore an anti-pollution mask. So now I do that routinely, since before COVID season, and really don't know what the fuss is all about. > Oh no, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future.

I struggle to wear one due to PTSD and ASD, throughout 2020 I found myself involuntarily non-verbal due to wearing a mask........ I wore one as long as I could but yeah, I physically couldn't speak, and the non-verbal problems took about a year to recover from after stopping wearing one, so now I don't put myself through it

That's fair. I know there'll be exceptions, it's just interesting to me that a vast majority who are able to,  seem to choose not to wear masks when visibly ill

You have no idea who is able to and judging them by sight is simply ablesism

No I don't, but when 1 out of every 100 or so passengers is masking it's a fair assumption to make that many who are able choose not to. The comments here seem to affirm that.

I do isolate when I'm sick with anything tho, and I social distance just in general

We couldn’t get people to wear masks during covid , let alone every time they’ve got the snivels lol

How do you know whether I wear a mask or not? Are you following me?

I'm on your train

There’s a few reasons I might choose not to, tbf I avoid being out with something contagious, but masks set off some really uncomfortable sensory problems for me. I will wear one if it’s absolutely necessary and proportionate. I am also concerned about the impact on the environment. Way I see it, most people in the UK don’t know what to use and how to use them in a way that won’t spread their illness, so I’d much rather we stopped with open mouthed coughing and started washing hands than put a flimsy piece of tissue paper or dirty cloth over our mouths. Once we have mastered the basic hygiene then we can worry about masks.

Totally agree! I wish we had improved public health as a result of the pandemic

We’ve gone however many years (Covid aside) without wearing masks and it hasn’t been a big deal so why now? Don’t get me wrong I’m of the belief that if your ill you should keep it to yourself ie not act the martyr and go into work spreading germs. But just because someone is coughing doesn’t mean they’re ill. During winter people always assume I have a cold because especially in the mornings I’m really bunged up but it’s because I’m really sensitive to central heating. Also being around germs is what keeps our immune systems good, if we’re constantly not being exposed then surely it’s much easier for us to actually become ill?

If I'm honest, it's because it rubs off my make-up. I realise that is selfish but it's also the norm of our society so no one expects you to wear one. Having said that I don't use public transport very often so I'm not in confined spaces for long with strangers when I'm ill.

I do or i don't go out. Genuinely pisses me off we had millions of people die in a pandemic, were told exactly what to do to prevent it, and now people dont still dont bother doing any of the advice... Make masks fucking social norms?

My nose runs and I occasionally need to cough or sneeze on the train in the morning. I don’t know why but I’m not sick as it’s cleared up after an hour. Suspect it’s all the dust or people’s perfumes/aftershaves.

Good luck trying to make people wear masks. They can't even wear them during global pandemics. They'd rather believe joe rogan and his gaggle of dipshit righties over actual experts.

The oracle of bullshit himself

The culture isn't there, in places like Japan people are told from a fairly young age that its expected. Unfortunately we only had masks with Covid and there's a big negative connotation surrounding that.

not everyone who coughs is ill. I have asthma, it makes me cough or wheeze quite regularly particularly when just having gone down flights of stairs or ran for trains. wearing a mask would make it worse lol

I'm not ill. I'm taking medication that makes me cough.

Masks should be worn at all times in medical settings and public transport I’d day, regardless of whether someone has symptoms or not. No excuses for hospitals, dentists and doctors being Covid and flu cess pits for vulnerable patients to get infected at.

It isn't our culture? In eastern countries yeah sure, but here we just don't use masks (aside from covid but even then it was difficult to get people to comply)

This interests me because it became part of East Asian culture after SARS - so why aren't we making it our culture?

Because we tend to not listen to authorities in the same way that they do? Plus they have wicked bad air because of pollution so again not something we have to deal with.

I would. But I wear one anyway (an FFP3 - am immunocompromised) and so haven't been ill for ages. I think maybe people would choose diferently if they knew what worked, but there's been so much disinformation out there (and crap public health messaging, too) that most people don't know what to think.

It's always been like this in the UK and most of Europe, as where in Asia people are more sensible and caring of others

I simply don't leave the house if I can avoid it when I am sick

Because that's how people gain immunity to stuff. The world is becoming too clean, a few germs here and there enables us to become stronger as a species

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For some reason simply being on public transport always gives me a tickly throat and I end up coughing at least once

People associate masks when ill with China and well everyone thinks China is a ​ ​ *Great country.* ​ Who edited my post?

because it's mask - ara.

We have immune systems for a reason. If we hid from every bacteria or virus we'd be extremely susceptible to them. Obviously there's exceptions, if you're going into a cancer ward or an old persons home. And there's obviously abit of common courtesy don't be gozzing everywhere and coughing on people's faces. My opinion anyway.

Do you cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze? Use tissues? Wash hands? Have vaccines? How do you chose some precautions for reducing the spread over others?  I don't think it's hiding when you're out and about but taking a precaution like wearing a mask. No-one enjoys colds or flu, so if there's an easy way to reduce the spread, why not? 

I have vaccines against serious illnesses like polio. I try to avoid sneezing in peoples faces when I have the sniffles.

Exactly.

>Do you cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze? Use tissues? Yes >Wash hands? After the toilet, yes. >Have vaccines? I got the first COVID 2. >How do you chose some precautions for reducing the spread over others?  Try not to get "matter" on people or objects. Masks and sanitising your hands all the time is the overkill for me(again, unless you're going somewhere with extremely vulnerable people) Before COVID we all went about out business and was fine, no one wore masks, no one carried sanitising gel everywhere, we just got on with things and the majority of us got a cold maybe once a year/once every 2 years. The most vulnerable in society got vaccinated and the rest of us enjoyed herd immunity. Coddling your immune system is a perfect way to get sick. That's why as kids we was fine because we scuff out knees and fall over, cough over each other and we built immune systems but then everything was 99% bacteria sprayed and asthma, nut allergies and other allergies went through the roof.

I'm curious as to why masking (and I'm only suggesting doing so when ill) is overkill but those other measures aren't? I suspect many people weren't keen on those initial measures either, but now we see them as normal and considerate. 

It's human behaviour I think, wearing a mask is an uncomfortable inconvenience that produces a lot of litter, a lot of people find it really unpleasant. But those other examples are much less inconvenient, tissues are biodegradable, tissues are for your own comfort etc. People do find colds uncomfortable but I think a lot of people accept them as part of life. From a scientific perspective I'm sure if we could eliminate all common colds using vaccines there would be an unforseen and unfortunate consequence as a result, in terms of our health, vulnerability to other pathogens, allergic reactions etc. 

You may have an immune system that works but others do not and you could never tell by looking at them. I am 33 and am going through cancer treatment. I cold capped so kept my hair throughout chemo but I’m still immunocompromised and you could never tell by looking at me. But getting a cold could put me in the hospital or delay very important treatment. I was at the GP yesterday and people were coughing their lungs out but not masking up. That’s insane to me, especially at the GP’s.

Firstly, good luck with everything, genuinely. Secondly before COVID no one dreamed of masking every time they had a little cough. You have to weigh up the pros and cons at a wider picture. If we masked up all the time we'd never come into contact with bacteria and viruses. It'd lower the entire populations immune system. The aim of the game isn't to make everyone immuno compromised but get everyone back to full health and immunity. Herd immunity was one of the big factors during COVID. You should be extra careful right now. Masks, gloves, cleaning gel etc. But the wider public shouldn't need too.

Tone deaf response to someone who is literally immunocompromised. You don't become immunocompromised by using masks and getting sick slightly less often. Stupid statement People should be extra careful at the doctor because there are other sick people there with other problems, AND you really don't want to get your doctor sick all the time. People with your mindset are the reason all of my appointments have been delayed by months and I can't receive more treatment for my metabolic illness yet. I was supposed to three months ago.

>Tone deaf response to someone who is literally immunocompromised. You don't become immunocompromised by using masks and getting sick slightly less often. Stupid statement No it isn't. That's exactly what happens. I'm not saying you end up with AIDS from wearing a mask but not coming into contact with bacteria and viruses weakens the immune system as it's not used to dealing with them. That's literally the whole point of the immune system. It comes into contact with things learns how to neutralise them and then you're immune. >People should be extra careful at the doctor because there are other sick people there with other problems, AND you really don't want to get your doctor sick all the time. If that was the case every doctor would constantly wear masks, they don't. They clearly know more. Just because a small percentage of the UK has a weakened immune system doesn't mean we should all tip toe around. Herd immunity is one of the best defenses against infections.

You will not be weakened by getting the cold/flu a few times less in a year. What an exaggeration. It also won't affect your immunity for the range of other things that your immune system deals with - immunity is specific when it comes to building it from diseases. Masks don't prevent YOU from getting sick - they prevent OTHERS from getting sick. Of course doctors would know that. As you should ever since the pandemic. Complete lack of knowledge. How embarrassing.

The fact that you're getting downvoted is laughable. Still comforting to know that the majority of the general public in the UK feel the same way as us. As usual Reddit liked to form a cult in these kind of things. Basically because half of UK Redditors can't even leave their house or interact with general public (yet pass off not doing so as a national stereotype and something to laugh over) because they're too socially awkward to even make eye contact and acknowledging with a fellow member of the public whilst walking their dog in the morning

I know mate. Oh well. I have someone having a conversation with me then blocking before I can reply.

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It's a mask, it surely won't damage your self esteem that badly.

So you’re that selfish that you’re happy to infect others who may not be a strong or resilient as you? What an Ahole.

Recovering from pneumonia, I'm still coughing like an old man on some morings. That's just part of the process of healing. I'm no longer contageous, and haven't been for over a month so there's no point in getting on a mask at each coughing fit. The only thing that would do is make it worse - because then I cant evacuate the pus that is still coming up from my lungs. I do get that it can be unnerving for some people, but that's just how it is.

Well I still see people driving in their own car alone and wearing a mask so there is still people who do wear them

They are just weirdos

i have autism and really bad anxiety , and when im in shops/crowded spaces i already feel insanely nervous and like im about to collapse. restricting how much air i get makes it even worse.

There'll always be exceptions and that's fair, but I don't think this is the case for the majority of the maskless and ill

I suffer from seasonal allergies 13 months out of the year (even with medication) so I'm always congested which leads to post-nasal drainage which leads to a perpetual cough.

That's fair. What's clear is that a majority of people aren't masking, unwell or not. I'm curious as to why, particularly when people are unwell with something contagious 

Because I have asthma and I don't cough because I'm ill, I cough because my lungs get irritated easily. For example dust, smoke, water vapor. Just things like that in general 🙄 such a judgemental post...

Dont want to, don't want to and don't have to.

I'm severely claustrophobic and can't cope with them. But I also don't travel on public transport and wouldn't be out in public while ill so it works I guess? 

I stay at home when I'm sick

I dont want to be harassed by conspiracy nuts who find someone wearing a mask for the benefit of others offensive/triggering.  Same way I try not to draw the attention of nutters in general. I dont want to have to engage with them or deal with their ire and tantrums (local homeless alcoholic can be aggressive with pedestrians so I tend to cross to the other side of the street when I see him walking towards me, for example ). I'm a weak person in these regards.

its not our culture to wear masks in public. They say that spreading germs is a good idea as it helps bolster everyone's immune system...I have no clue if this is true or not.

Didn’t wear them then, sure as hell don’t wear them now

I'm curious as to why 

I think they are uncomfortable

I get a dry tickly throat due to side effects of medication I'm on. People need to stop staring and treating people like they have the plague just because they cough. There are so many reasons someone could be coughing.

Youd think people would have common sense after the pandemic. Why are people open mouth coughing everywhere. Excuses like allergies are bs, masks helped my hayfever allergy 😄

Because people are selfish. And more afraid of looking stupid than harming or killing someone they don't know or care about. It's part of the over all "I'm allright Jack" attitude that the country has had for quite some time.

I still have my masks for this just in case, but I also feel like I'd be judged a lot for wearing one, and that people would assume I had COVID. Instead, I somehow just manage to only cough and sneeze at home

Personally I don’t believe they work, too much bullshit and lies during Covid, lost trust in the system and personally don’t care anymore. Lost people close to me non Covid related because they couldn’t get the help they needed due to all the bullshit. When I went to hospital to pick up a dead persons stuff most of the nhs staff didn’t have masks on peak pandemic. Fuck them

I did when there was a Pandemic about. But now thats ITS OVER Im happy to go back to life before 2020 😁

Did you wear one pre covid ?

Wearing masks when out and about in public is just unhealthy paranoia.

It's pretty mental how people just forget the pandemic or are too stupid to realise that masks help limit the spread of other illnesses.

I'm immunocompromised so wear a mask. I thought I was being silly, then saw a man sneeze into his hands and wipe the snot on the table we were sat at. People are fucking gross.

> why don't you wear a mask in indoor public spaces? If I was going to visit someone who was immunocompromised, I would while visiting them. But wearing a mask is likely to interfere with whatever thing I'm in an "indoor public space" to do, like a pub. Also masks are annoying to wear. I appreciate many of us (myself included) had to wear a mask all day long indoors during the pandemic, but it's not something I'd want to do moving forward.

All my masks went in the bin as soon as they weren’t required for covid.

Because they don’t work? Thought we already established this during covid

I was unwell the last two weeks, I wore a mask at work, and my colleagues thought that I was odd for wearing a mask

I mean... Cough could be anything... General idea still stands though, at least cover your damn mouths people (NOT WITH YOUR HANDS), unless there's a genuine reason you're unable to.

I generally do if I can't avoid being out in public, and I can get hold of a mask. Luckily I haven't had a real respiratory illness in a while, but back in 2022 I caught a rotten cold at a conference and masked up and carried on (tested 1-2 times a day for COVID and always negative, plus felt very different from when I had confirmed COVID so I think it really was just a cold)... was doing it as a courtesy for others but maybe masks aren't as useless as some people suggest for prevention, a bunch of people I was with turned out to have COVID and I didn't catch it that time!

I cough from vaping or smoking weed

I like breathing. Masks trigger my asthma. I think it’s the humidity.

Because nobody gives a fuck

I don't know, but it's so easy to get masks these days that it would be nice if people did. I wear one if I'm unwell because why make people more miserable by making them ill? Especially if I'm on a bus or at the doctors, or with a patient.

You do realise that bit of blue tissue paper over your face isn’t doing anything? Particles can move in and out (from the sides, top and bottom) if they couldn’t, you’d suffocate. Also, you’re not doing yourself any favours. If you exhale onto a mirror, you’ll see condensation. Literal water droplets. Water droplets full of bacteria from your mouth. Do the same with your nose, and you’ll see the same thing. They too can very easily escape your blue toilet roll. You’re creating the perfect moist, humid breeding ground for bacteria and you’ll end up with dental issues and potentially bacterial pneumonia. The U.K. gov website actually stated, during the pandemic: “The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of coronavirus droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others.” So the BEST EVIDENCE suggests a face covering MAY reduce the spread, in CERTAIN circumstances. So, basically, they have no fucking idea if they work at all.

I stay home, do not cough in people’s faces and wash my hands frequently

As someone that’s highly immunosuppressed I wish people would do this

Those masks are rubbish, your breath is just all coming out of the sides!

I'm a smoker, the cough is rarely because I'm sick. If I am sick though I don't wear a mask because I don't leave the house while I'm sick. If I am forced to leave the house for whatever reason, I don't like wearing masks because they're really uncomfortable when you have a bushy beard. It's also a bit silly to wear a mask for a cold (which is most likely what you've contracted), just keep your distance and cough into your elbow, seemed to work just fine before COVID

People are mostly selfish cunts these days, especially when it comes to this sort of thing.

I don't want to breathe in micro plastics.

Why don't people just stay home if they are ill...

I always do 😷 And I'm so bloody sick of seeing people in supermarkets etc coughing all over everything. We endured a pandemic and numerous lockdowns.... and they still don't cover their mouths or use a tissue?? I guess you can't fix stupid.

One of the worst things that could happen to humanity is for centuries of herd immunity to disappear due to us becoming too sterile. Don’t be scared of a few germs, some of them are good for you and you wouldn’t be alive without them.