Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Misc] Does anyone know someone who has a face mask exemption ?



Blue3

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2014
5,826
Lancing
Article printer in a magazine called the Pulse a publication aimed at GP surgeries dated Oct 2020

People with respiratory conditions should not be exempt from wearing face masks in public, international respiratory experts have said.

In a paper for the European Respiratory Journal, experts from the Respiratory Effectiveness Group argued that exemptions imposed by ‘several Governments’ for patients with asthma and COPD are ‘not evidence-based’.

It said: ‘It must be strongly stated that such exemption is not evidence-based, and it may carry increased risk of personal infection to the estimated 544.9m people worldwide suffering a chronic respiratory disease.’

The REG, consisting chiefly of academics from the UK and Spain, also said there was no evidence that wearing face coverings can trigger an asthma attack or exacerbate COPD from an ‘increase in inspiratory pressures’.

The experts wrote: ‘Although facemasks undoubtedly enhance breathing resistances, the degree of discomfort experienced by some patients is influenced by its affective component.

‘Dyspnea is a sensation, and supratentorial affects such as anxiety and claustrophobia might cause the added sensation of “being unable to breathe” with a mask.’

But it added: ‘Indeed, the WHO states that face masks of breathable material, worn properly, will not lead to health problems.’

As well as the risk posed to individuals, avoiding wearing face coverings may increase the risk of group infections, the researchers said.

‘Beyond hand hygiene and physical distancing, face masks are fundamental for personal and group protection to prevent the spread of infection both in patients and in their caretakers,’ their paper said.

Lead author Dr Joan B Soriano, of the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Clinical Network Knowledge Exchange Team, said: ‘Patients with asthma, COPD or other respiratory diseases should wear the mask without exceptions.

‘If they have respiratory failure or with a feeling of shortness of breath when putting it on, they should most likely limit their activity, especially outdoors.’

In the UK, it has been mandatory to wear a face covering in areas such as shops and public transport since June.

But Government advice says people who ‘cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability’ are exempt.

It does not specify particular diagnoses and patients are not required to present a GP note to prove their exemption.

However, GPs have reported fielding a large number of questions from patients regarding exemptions.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the chief medical officer urged patients with asthma and COPD take more stringent measures than others in protecting themselves against the virus due to increased vulnerability.
 




LamieRobertson

Not awoke
Feb 3, 2008
48,278
SHOREHAM BY SEA
Because as I said in my opening post, I was struggling to think of reasons why when a face mask couldn't be worn, that a visor couldn't be worn instead.

I've had 3 reasons explained already, so I am now more knowledgeable than I was an hour ago. Something I think is always positive :thumbsup:

(I was also under the mistaken belief that a visor was an alternative to a face mask and have found out that isn't true)

Fair enough....it’s good to learn more :thumbsup:
 




Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
12,025
I don't really get it.

MAsks are required to prevent the spread of the virus.
If you contracted Covid in the past 14 days, you need to wear a mask when you are out and about for certain.
If you don't know whether you have had covid, you need to wear a mask when you are out and about, until such time as you've had it/been vaccinated.

If you can't wear a mask and you haven't had covid, then you can't go out and about.
Take your choice.
It's shit if you can't wear masks, but not as shit as being vulnerable/unvaccinated and waiting to get hit by the virus.
 


LamieRobertson

Not awoke
Feb 3, 2008
48,278
SHOREHAM BY SEA
I don't really get it.

MAsks are required to prevent the spread of the virus.
If you contracted Covid in the past 14 days, you need to wear a mask when you are out and about for certain.
If you don't know whether you have had covid, you need to wear a mask when you are out and about, until such time as you've had it/been vaccinated.

If you can't wear a mask and you haven't had covid, then you can't go out and about.
Take your choice.
It's shit if you can't wear masks, but not as shit as being vulnerable/unvaccinated and waiting to get hit by the virus.

Bananas
 




junior

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2003
6,631
Didsbury, Manchester
I met someone at work the other day who had a lanyard with her stating she was exempt from wearing a face covering. It stated she was diagnosed with severe PTSD, plus a couple of other mental heath conditions.
I took it as granted it was genuine and not something she had just bought off eBay. I didn't feel the need to ask what would happen if she had to wear a face covering.
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 11, 2016
26,023
West is BEST
I do. But they live on council estates so I pretend I don’t know them. Hope that helps.

If you can’t wear a mask for any reason, you shouldn’t be in public. End of.
 


Doonhamer7

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2016
1,447
I would have thought that those who can’t wear a mask have some form of breathing difficulty (I read a medical report in the summer that the percentage is so small your chance of seeing one at the supermarket was one every 6 trips) and therefore a) should be self isolating and b)probably needs to wear a mask more than anyone else to reduce their risk
 




Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
12,025

Sorry I genuinely don't understand the problem.

I have no view on the rightness or wrongness of face mask exemption.
But if you can't comply with the mandatory requirements to limit the infection rate, then someone who can will need to do the tasks for you.

Maybe I'm going mad, but saying it's ok for this individual to potentially spread the virus, because they cannot comply, doesn't achieve any positive outcome, does it?
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,607
I've had a few answers thanks and, as I suspected they have been things I hadn't even considered.

If this starts to become a thread for bashing people who don't wear masks, then I would think it would be best moved elswhere :thumbsup:
 


Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee

You can't change fighters
NSC Patron
Jul 25, 2005
10,900
on a pig farm
My missus has an exemption.
She still wears one though because she thinks it’s wrong not too
 




The Grockle

Formally Croydon Seagull
Sep 26, 2008
5,752
Dorset
My big gripe with the exemption is that for every 1 person who genuinely has a medical reason for exemption there are 5 who have just bought their card on ebay or play the human rights card.

I work in hospitality and have encounter many people who simply refuse to wear them and also those who have genuine exemption who wear then anyway for fear of being put in the same pigeon hole as the idiots who refuse.

For me they should invest in proper cards for the small minority of people who actually shouldn't be wearing masks and be tougher on those who don't.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,458
The Fatherland
I know someone close to me who has genuine reasons for not wearing a covering (I’ll not disclose them here), I fully support the reasoning behind their decision. I wear one on all relevant occasions because I can...

However, the tone of this thread concerns me slightly.

I get the faint whiff of polished boots and arm bands, that’s a dangerous place to even think about going.

Sorry, but you can’t tar everyone with the willing ‘deception’ brush - so don’t.

There are obviously genuine reasons for some, but like the Bad Back Blue Badge Bullshitters, there will also be some who take advantage.
 


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
8,154
Eastbourne
A friend of mine has severe anxiety issues, she is exempt but tries to wear one whenever she goes out. Sometimes the anxiety takes hold, though, and she has to remove it. When that happens she goes home. Face mask is the same.
 




GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
48,970
Gloucester
Article printer in a magazine called the Pulse a publication aimed at GP surgeries dated Oct 2020

People with respiratory conditions should not be exempt from wearing face masks in public, international respiratory experts have said.

In a paper for the European Respiratory Journal, experts from the Respiratory Effectiveness Group argued that exemptions imposed by ‘several Governments’ for patients with asthma and COPD are ‘not evidence-based’.

It said: ‘It must be strongly stated that such exemption is not evidence-based, and it may carry increased risk of personal infection to the estimated 544.9m people worldwide suffering a chronic respiratory disease.’

The REG, consisting chiefly of academics from the UK and Spain, also said there was no evidence that wearing face coverings can trigger an asthma attack or exacerbate COPD from an ‘increase in inspiratory pressures’.

The experts wrote: ‘Although facemasks undoubtedly enhance breathing resistances, the degree of discomfort experienced by some patients is influenced by its affective component.

‘Dyspnea is a sensation, and supratentorial affects such as anxiety and claustrophobia might cause the added sensation of “being unable to breathe” with a mask.’

But it added: ‘Indeed, the WHO states that face masks of breathable material, worn properly, will not lead to health problems.’

As well as the risk posed to individuals, avoiding wearing face coverings may increase the risk of group infections, the researchers said.

‘Beyond hand hygiene and physical distancing, face masks are fundamental for personal and group protection to prevent the spread of infection both in patients and in their caretakers,’ their paper said.

Lead author Dr Joan B Soriano, of the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Clinical Network Knowledge Exchange Team, said: ‘Patients with asthma, COPD or other respiratory diseases should wear the mask without exceptions.

‘If they have respiratory failure or with a feeling of shortness of breath when putting it on, they should most likely limit their activity, especially outdoors.’

In the UK, it has been mandatory to wear a face covering in areas such as shops and public transport since June.

But Government advice says people who ‘cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability’ are exempt.

It does not specify particular diagnoses and patients are not required to present a GP note to prove their exemption.

However, GPs have reported fielding a large number of questions from patients regarding exemptions.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the chief medical officer urged patients with asthma and COPD take more stringent measures than others in protecting themselves against the virus due to increased vulnerability.
This last bit exactly. Those people who claim exemption through breathing difficulties and lung disease should be concentrating on staying safe, getting friends and family to shop for them (or getting it delivered) rather than clamouring to be exempt from wearing a mask (and yes, I do know of some such actual people). Mental.
 


The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 11, 2016
26,023
West is BEST
A huge contributer to the failure of the UK's Covid response is the lack of enforcement. Until the police start cracking down and supermarkets etc refuse entry to ANYONE not wearing a mask then we will be in lockdown forever and a day.
 


Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
5,957
I guess you’ll be seeing some of them again in the not too distant future.


To be fair if they are sat with people within their 'bubble' and socially distanced away from the rest of the congregation so its not an issue, prior to standing up at the end of the service the mask must come back on.
 






Lenny Rider

Well-known member
Sep 15, 2010
5,957
A huge contributer to the failure of the UK's Covid response is the lack of enforcement. Until the police start cracking down and supermarkets etc refuse entry to ANYONE not wearing a mask then we will be in lockdown forever and a day.

I won't say its PC for fear of getting flamed on here, but if challenged for not wearing a mask once you say you are exempt, the person challenging you is not allowed to ask why?

Don't ask me why? GDPR?

But I've witnessed it in various scenarios.
 


middletoenail

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2008
3,580
Hong Kong
A friend of mine has severe anxiety issues, she is exempt but tries to wear one whenever she goes out. Sometimes the anxiety takes hold, though, and she has to remove it. When that happens she goes home. Face mask is the same.
Is this intended to be a joke? Face mask exemption for having anxiety?
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here