skipness1E

There's a lot of people really enjoying mask wearing as it gives them a sense of moral superiority. "Tee hee hee we're all going to have to wear masks on planes otherwise you're an awful person" is simply irrational. I genuinely think there's a significant % who never want this to end as it's given their life added meaning!

nk15

What you say maybe true for a very tiny minority, but not for virtue signaling, but perhaps other reasons, like privacy, fashion, cold, etc. But most people will wear it because they are anxious and for protection. The issue of mask effectiveness has been discussed countless times and the answer is they work, anybody who understands the data agrees, so let's not start on this again. Perhaps the UK has decided on cost-effectiveness grounds no to have masks indoors, but this will add some new Covid cases for sure. As far as international travel goes the issue is broader, and if UK airports and airlines prematurely abandon the measure they will surely lose traffic.

In the end, 99.9% of people do not like wearing masks, but it is safety related.

skipness1E

I'm a data analyst by trade.
I disagree that they're needed.
Omicron is so infectious that almost everyone will be exposed AND be fine, especially if vaccinated. That's what the data tells me. Wearing a face mask on a LHR-MAN/NQY service could and should be optional this summer under English law. I am not suggesting the anxious can't wear one, I am suggesting the rest of us need to step up and get back to normality. And actually there's a vocal subset who want masks on aircraft to be permanent. No thanks!

The fact you're allowed to take them off to eat shows how dangerous things are. If it was really a safety matter, food wouldn't be served now would it? Cos it wouldn't be safe.....

coleslaw

God help whatever firm(s) you're doing data analysis for.

747-800i

People insisting we wear useless totemic items on our faces are the selfish ones. Airline CEO have stated the data shows that masks do not add anything on planes since the HEPA filters get the job done and all the air on the plane is replaced every 2-4 minutes. Beyond that, are we really still going to pretend that a 4 month old soiled surgical mask half on the face does anything but virtue signal? People like you are the problem and why this farce is still ongoing.

coleslaw

People who are wearing 4 month old soiled surgical masks half on their faces are the problem.

747-800i

That's 99% of people. Few people wear a properly fitted n95 changed every few hours. Masks are unnecessary, and everyone has already had omicron which is a cold. This needs to end. If you're so scared, STAY HOME by all means. The rest of us want our lives back.

coleslaw

It is not 99% of people.

It seems that you're under the impression that the only two possibilities are that someone wears a properly fitted N95 mask (great!) or wears a 4 month old soiled surgical mask below their nose (not great!).

Being asked to wear a mask over your nose and mouth is not preventing you from living your life. Being dramatic is not helping anyone and is certainly not helping things get back to a pre-COVID normal.

747-800i

Actually it IS preventing me from living my life and it serves no purpose. The same can be said for all of these other farcical restrictions that make absolutely no logical sense. Continuing to abide by these moronic rules is WHY we are not back at pre-COVID normal. If we were to say NO MORE and demand these do nothing restrictions be stripped away we could be back there very quickly. If England says you don't need a mask to stand shoulder to shoulder in a poorly ventilated and packed pub then why logically would you need one when you're on an airplane with high powered HEPA filters that replace all the cabin air every 2-4 minutes? Notwithstanding the data and testing airline CEO's have referenced proving that there's no need for masks on planes...given all of this, explain to me WHY we need masks other than wearing it makes you irrationally feel "safe."

nk15

The official recommendation around the world is still to avoid Covid for as long as you can...And the travel policy is wear a mask or the pane gets diverted...

nk15

Nobody knows why England says that, but there will definitely be Covid transmission in those settings...

747-800i

I think it's because people finally realized 1. the incidence of bad outcomes with omicron is incredibly low and 2. the restrictions do nothing to stop the spread. People get flu every year also, we just don't track cases, test and fear monger.

747-800i

and yet you're wholly unable to refute anything he said (because he's right).

thatmikereed

Why? The data shows he's right. God forbid airlines make policies based on data.

nk15

I think the issue is that there are very generally speaking two groups in this conversation, (a) those under 40 who probably already had Covid 1-4 times, and it was mild, and they are over it and just want to live their lives with as few restrictions as possible, and (b) those over 40 who are more at risk and concerned about it (or younger with risk factors) and probably have avoided it so far, or people with bad experiences. (Of course this is a very crude generalization, there are a lot more other separating personality and other characteristics and groups or continuums). And these two groups are talking at each other. But the good thing is that group B governs the world...