The future of masking -- will it ever end?

[rabas]

2 hours ago, farang9392 said:

I hope so, Pita is young, most of the uniquely Thailand covid forever media fear non-sense is driven by the old unhealthy dinosaurs that are soon to be shown the door, never seen Pita masked at least not in recent publicity, although six silly clot shots at his young age makes you think if he really is that smart. And if he, or his third cousin's wife have shares in a defunct mask company then who knows, in that event we could still be talking about covid next decade whilst the rest of the world will need to look it up on wikipedia or learn about it in history lessons.

 

Country A: Traditionally wears masks when ill to protect others or when there is reasonable exposure to respiratory disease such as an outbreak or pandemic. Has little fear about masks.

 

Country B: similar until recent crippling political polarization where half support mask mandates, punishment, and claim non wearers are murderers, and the other half make wild claims that masks don't work, cause illness and lasting damage.  Obsessed about masks.

 

Question: Which country is normal. Which country overall has a more reasonable medical view.

[n00dle]

Asians have been wearing masks as long as i can rmember and will continue to do so. What is the issue?

[mania]

17 hours ago, h90 said:

I don't want to ban masks, and they may make sense for older people but not for children...they need to have a normal life, get in contact with viruses and need to learn from facial expressions.

I often wonder what long term risks there are to children's lung development.

I mean I am a athletic type & when I wore a mask in public I could definitely feel the restriction

 

So take kids trying to run & play or just the fact their lungs are still developing & makes one wonder

[rabas]

1 hour ago, mania said:

I often wonder what long term risks there are to children's lung development.

I mean I am a athletic type & when I wore a mask in public I could definitely feel the restriction

 

So take kids trying to run & play or just the fact their lungs are still developing & makes one wonder

I think you have it backwards.

 

From all we know about the human body, airway resistance, like all resistance training, helps develop better lungs especially when young. Think sherpas.

 

Airway resistance training,  including resistance breathers, is popular among athletes and health enthusiasts. It has even been found to significantly lower blood pressure.  Next time the doctor complains about my blood pressure I'll say "Sorry, haven't been wearing my mask."

 

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-resistance-breathing-blood-pressure.html

 

 

[h90]

2 hours ago, mania said:

I often wonder what long term risks there are to children's lung development.

I mean I am a athletic type & when I wore a mask in public I could definitely feel the restriction

 

So take kids trying to run & play or just the fact their lungs are still developing & makes one wonder

The problem is also that it is many hours...not half an hour here and there..it is basically all the day.

[farang9392]

On 6/21/2023 at 1:40 PM, n00dle said:

Asians have been wearing masks as long as i can rmember and will continue to do so. What is the issue?

A tiny tiny minority on any particular day have been wearing masks. Just like in Antarctica. Masking pre-covid was between 0.5%  - 2%, yes masks existed before COVID thats about as far it goes, point is meaningless, masks were not a thing precovid in Thailand.  We are in a strange world today where in certain parts of Bangkok 80% of natives are masked from dawn to dusk, strange sad world.

[farang9392]

On 6/22/2023 at 7:26 AM, h90 said:

The problem is also that it is many hours...not half an hour here and there..it is basically all the day.

Eventually the science will show how damaging dawn to dusk masking is for long term health, people refer to doctors wearing masks in surgery so it must be fine without understanding that they might only be in the operating room for 12 hours a week, the average Thai is masked 14hours a day, 7 days a week, outdoors, indoors, alone, any scenario where they aren't shoveling sugar in to their gobs..

[rabas]

10 minutes ago, farang9392 said:

A tiny tiny minority on any particular day have been wearing masks. Just like in Antarctica. Masking pre-covid was between 0.5%  - 2%, yes masks existed before COVID thats about as far it goes, point is meaningless, masks were not a thing precovid in Thailand.  We are in a strange world today where in certain parts of Bangkok 80% of natives are masked from dawn to dusk, strange sad world.

 As I've often said, Thai wear masks when and where appropriate, nor do they have hangups about them. Thai are therefore normal.

 

Thursday a week ago two members of my family unit again caught Covid, both adults in their 30s, one rather lax about masking. Just 3 days before someone called and cancelled an appointment because he had Covid. So the residual mask wearing in Bangkok is for a reason. Thus Thais are also reasonable.

[farang9392]

7 minutes ago, rabas said:

 As I've often said, Thai wear masks when and where appropriate, nor do they have hangups about them. Thai are therefore normal.

 

Thursday a week ago two members of my family unit again caught Covid, both adults in their 30s, one rather lax about masking. Just 3 days before someone called and cancelled an appointment because he had Covid. So the residual mask wearing in Bangkok is for a reason. Thus Thais are also reasonable.

Some leap of logic there... At end of the day this isn't the reality though is it, most Thais mask from dawn to dusk without a consideration for the appropriateness, it's not like you see a Thai, look around and think to themselves "im outside now and its windy - ill remove this piece of cloth until I reach a crowded venue"

 

 

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, farang9392 said:

Some leap of logic there... At end of the day this isn't the reality though is it, most Thais mask from dawn to dusk without a consideration for the appropriateness, it's not like you see a Thai, look around and think to themselves "im outside now and its windy - ill remove this piece of cloth until I reach a crowded venue"

 

 

Agreed that some are using it in ways that are useless. But 'most Thais mask from dawn to dusk' is simply not true.

[farang9392]

14 hours ago, stevenl said:

Agreed that some are using it in ways that are useless. But 'most Thais mask from dawn to dusk' is simply not true.

I guess it could be dependent on location, and your definition of most, but certainly in Bangkok more Thais than not do the 14hrs a day / 7 days a week mask practice

[KhunLA]

At Krung Thep now, and popped over to Chatuchak market (not my choice), but noticed, most not wearing masks.  Not surprising, since guessing, most are tourist.  

 

The interesting part, few vendors were wearing mask, almost non-existent.  Since Thais don't really shop there (tourist trap that it is), they don't seem to bother.  Apparently not bothering, since they realize, the customer base doesn't care, at a guess.

 

As I state often, same locally, market vendors not wearing masks, or incorrected, setting up, early opening, and not until the customers show up, then the mask get put on.  Thais still about 50/50 locally in crowded areas/market, but again, wearing incorrectly.

 

MRT, majority wearing, though surprised many locals, I think, not wearing, since not on the downtown lines.  More were wearing, boarding the carriages at the popular stops. More crowded also.

[stevenl]

23 hours ago, farang9392 said:

I guess it could be dependent on location, and your definition of most, but certainly in Bangkok more Thais than not do the 14hrs a day / 7 days a week mask practice

The post following yours contradicts your post already.

'Most' is not dependent on a interpretation btw.

[NotEinstein]

I went to Chiang Mai Immigration office a few days ago - none of the staff were wearing masks that I saw and only a handful of Thai ladies on the customer side were masked up.

[EVENKEEL]

I see the mask wearing slowly disappearing among Thais. 

[ultramarine]

16 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

I went to Chiang Mai Immigration office a few days ago - none of the staff were wearing masks that I saw and only a handful of Thai ladies on the customer side were masked up.

I'm happy to hear it. 

 

I'm not a rabid anti-masker by any means, and I did wear a mask without complaint at the height of the pandemic when it made more sense and we didn't know any better.

 

But the widespread masking is a negative for me.  Thailand is less fun and less human when most people are wearing masks, especially now that Covid is over and whatever strains still exist are no longer dangerous.  I'm speaking not as a resident, but as a frequent visitor.  I think most residents have no choice but to simply roll with the punches.

 

Thailand's tourist numbers have bounced back strongly in recent months, so the masking is clearly no big deal for most tourists.  Part of that is pent-up demand though.  But long term, I wonder how many tourists are OK with people wearing masks all the time. 

 

 

[stevenl]

5 hours ago, ultramarine said:

I'm happy to hear it. 

 

I'm not a rabid anti-masker by any means, and I did wear a mask without complaint at the height of the pandemic when it made more sense and we didn't know any better.

 

But the widespread masking is a negative for me.  Thailand is less fun and less human when most people are wearing masks, especially now that Covid is over and whatever strains still exist are no longer dangerous.  I'm speaking not as a resident, but as a frequent visitor.  I think most residents have no choice but to simply roll with the punches.

 

Thailand's tourist numbers have bounced back strongly in recent months, so the masking is clearly no big deal for most tourists.  Part of that is pent-up demand though.  But long term, I wonder how many tourists are OK with people wearing masks all the time. 

 

 

"and we didn't know any better."
That really says it all about your opinion.

[n00dle]

On 6/23/2023 at 1:43 PM, farang9392 said:

masks were not a thing precovid in Thailand.

And I say they were. I can recall seeing co workers wearing masks to the office way pre coivid -- i havent worked in an office in 10 years. 

i can also recall seeing people on the street and skytrain wearing masks during cold and flu season.

obviosly the numbers have grown because mask wearing has become even more ingrained but it is hardly a new phenomenon.

i can even remeber my kid coming home from school with a mask on because she or another child in the class was ill.   

 

in other news, despite the fact that i pretty much keep to myself unless out and about wakeboarding or riding my bike, i came down with bloddy covid last week.

I have worn a mask and disnifcted my hands frequently when going out to do unavoidable shopping.   

Edited June 26, 2023 by n00dle

[ozimoron]

I went to Central Festival in Pattaya today. Approx 95% of staff, 30 to 40% of Thai customers and 2% of farangs were wearing masks. Curiously, those most inclined to wear masks are teenagers and young kids.

 

I'm also going with masks were common pre covid. Motorcycle riders and passengers frequently wear masks these days to filter dirt and exhaust smoke.