A lesson in masks. Probably.
I get that wearing one is unusual. So are pandemics, despite scientists trying to compel government to prepare for such a thing. And failing to do so.
This is a novel virus, so it stands to reason that advice given early on could become out of date or replaces later on. This is the case with masks; a fact lost on the conspiracy crowd. They think that proves the new world order are lying to us and that, having spotted this, the conspiranauts have scored a clever victory. This is false; we simply weren't sure earlier on that masks were necessary, despite places like Taiwan having a great deal of success providing them to everyone and wearing them without shitting the bed.
Another reason for not advocating their use is precisely because it's so unusual. No one wants to be the one advocating what some are now, ironically, arguing as draconian or uncomfortable. It also serves to remind people of the reality; you see a person in a mask and the situation becomes all to clear. That's why, speaking for myself, it's uncomfortable (I still do it, and everyone that can ought to as well).
Most people aren't going to be in a position to wear a full on CDC grade biohazard mask. In fact we were warned not to hunt such things down on ebay/amazon earlier on. This was because that sort of equipment belongs in the hands of the professionals who need it more. It's also impractical for us, living our lives and doing our jobs, to walk around in biohazard gear! Consequently we are advised to make do with bog standard cloth masks. Perhaps imperfect, but a reasonable compromise.
They are emphatically not muzzles. Anyone who says this should be roundly ignored and indeed pilloried. It is a stupid dangerous and deliberately provocative claim to make and one so easily refuted (how would you shop?) that to entertain it is to invite gaslighting it. I really have come to despise these people.
Masks are not perfect. No one ever claimed they were foolproof. However the most important thing they do is offer some protection for essential workers (the people keeping your shops open for example). Do they not deserve consideration? It's arguable whether or not they should be masked, and sometimes they are. But if the rest of us are, for the few minutes we're in their shop, then it helps reduce the need for minimum wage essential staff to have to wear one for several hours at a time.
I'm ok with that. Mask wearing could have been normalised had we adopted it earlier on. So many things would have turned out differently with that attitude. We are where we are. The government is now banning outdoor gatherings of more than 6. This is another confusing piece of bullshit advice since we know that indoors transmission is greater. Therefore this is just inconsistency masking the Tories' desire to protect the hospitality industry. Specifically their mates in the brewery business (like small faced simpleton Tim Martin of Wetherspoons). Not the working class who enjoy or depend on that industry for a job. Those people should of course be protected and have their wages covered at the very least.
Unfortunately I don't see the Tories shutting pubs down. They should never have opened them before schools. Again, we are where we are. Isn't it lovely.
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