Do you wear a mask in stores?

[calmloki]

Brilliant:

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I now wear a mask. The same cheap paper one I've been wearing for a week now. Keep it in the car in the cup holder. It's just for show.

As long as it keeps you from spewing aerosol droplets like researchers showed in that NHK video, it's doing its job. That's why bandanas, scarves, and other non-medical face coverings are considered OK. They may not be as effective as medical masks, but they do help protect others, who have no idea if YOU have been exposed or not...and since there have been documented cases of asymptomatic transmission, you really can't know for sure if you are contagious or not.

 

[Gulfbeach]

As someone just mentioned, airline eye masks will work and have secure straps. I put a coffee filter in mine following the directions in the CDC pattern for the scarf and hair ties model.
The naval base here has just started requiring masks at public places. My husband said that almost all those in uniform were wearing bandanas.
And on a side note, for the first time there was plenty of tp, bread, fresh meat, chicken and eggs.

 

[nvestysly]

Hmmm.... No activity on this thread for about a month. Thought I would chime in and try to describe what's going on in our part of the world - it's probably similar to what others are experiencing.

It's now common, and required in some locales, to wear a mask when in public areas. Costco requires a mask when you get in line to enter their stores. Our grocery store (Kroger) doesn't require a mask but a large percentage of the patrons are wearing masks. Our local municipality indicates their workers have been provided with masks but I see them working on projects around town, picking up garbage, etc. and many of the employees don't have a mask on.

DW and I are not going out much - grocery shopping every 10 days or so, dropping off mail at the post office periodically, big box home store for supplies - but not much else. We wear a mask when we exit the vehicle and if we're handling items in the store we put on gloves before we leave the vehicle to enter the store. One of us will remove our gloves to pay for whatever we've purchased and leave their gloves off but not touch anything other than the door on our vehicle. So that leaves the other person to push the cart to the vehicle, wait for the door to be opened, and put groceries or supplies into the vehicle. Then the second person removes their gloves and enters the vehicle.

Washing hands has always been commonplace for DW and me and we're glad to see others getting on the bandwagon. Maybe the social norms of handshakes and hugs will go by the wayside at least for a while. We'll see.

Strange times, maybe I drank too much of the Kool-Aid but it seems that it wouldn't be prudent to be in public places without a mask.

 

[gayl]

Masks are mandatory here unless 'exercising' and I wear one sometimes as I'm out & about for about 2 hours a day. NO when in the car, at the kids, or walking in the hills. YES put on when I approach the store or establishment (and take off when I get in the car)

 

[harllee]

Masks are not mandatory in NC but recommended and in my town most everyone I see is wearing a mask even young people.

 

[Chuckanut]

I wear a mask whenever I go into a store or other business. I want to see at least 90% of the customers masked and 100% of the workers masked, otherwise, they can keep their goods and I will keep my money.

Outside, walking about on lightly populated streets and paths, I don't wear a mask. I can easily keep 20+ feet away from 95%, 99%. The chances of inhaling enough virus to get infected from somebody walking quickly and closely by is very, very small. If things are looking crowded or getting crowded, I go home. I don't walk in crowded areas. Period.

 

[LOL!]

I have only been in a store only 2 times since mid March, both times a grocery store around 8 am, and both times I wore a mask. I have not worn a mask when doing curbside pick-up of take-out meals from restaurants the two times I have done that. Other family members have picked up more food, shopped more, and worn masks more.

In my neighborhood while cycling 20 miles or running 4 miles, I do not wear a mask. When cycling, I make sure no one is within about 20 feet of me. And when running I go about an hour after sunset in the dark and usually see 1 or 2 other people with headlamps.

We have had very few diagnosed confirmed cases in our zip code during that time including no new cases since May 5.

 

[MBAustin]

I'm wearing a mask anytime I approach a building or another person (takeout, curbside, etc.). Just ordered a few more from Etsy so I can wash them after each use as I am starting to go out a bit more. I do not wear one walking in the neighborhood as staying distant isn't a problem even with more people than usual out because there are so few cars - we can just walk in the street if needed.

Costco and our farmers market require masks. HEB highly encourages them - 100% of everyone I saw there last week was masked.

 

[Beststash]

I do wear a mask when I am around others and I appreciate it when others do likewise. I don't like them - they are uncomfortable and I have a hard time breathing after a while, but I try not to be in close proximity to others for long periods. I like to try and treat others like I want to be treated.


So wear your damn mask!

 

[RobbieB]

I carry mine wadded up in my pocket. Put it on just before I go in and remove it as soon as I get out.

 

[Rustic23]

We keep a spray, mist, outlet of 91% alcohol in the car. When we take off the masks the get a light misting and tossed in the back. If we make more than one stop, we use a clean mask and it goe to the rear. They stay there for days.

Edit: Changed alchemy to alcohol

However, travelover we get it mainly by to much internal consumption!

 

[travelover]

We keep a spray, mist, outlet of 91% alchemy in the car...........

Do you get that from Amazon or Harry Potter?

 

[Calico]

Masks are not mandatory in NC but recommended and in my town most everyone I see is wearing a mask even young people.

That actually depends where you live in NC. The city of Durham and Durham county both require masks any time you are unable to maintain social distancing outside, and in all retail establishments of any kind. This has been the case for several weeks in Durham, and the requirement was just renewed.

The last time I set foot in any establishment was on March 17th; I went to the eye doctor's office for five minutes to pick up several pairs of new glasses which had come in. I wore a mask and gloves. There were elderly clients in the waiting room; none of them were wearing masks. The technician who handed me my glasses was masked. I didn't have the technician "fit" the glasses - I just had her drop them in a plastic bag and I got out of there.

I make two express grocery pickup runs a week. I wear a mask and gloves, so I can push the little button on the intercom without having to touch it. I don't get any closer than 6 feet to the employees loading my car; they are also wearing masks. The store requires that the customer open and close their trunk or car door, so no one touches the car but me.

Every time I pick up groceries I see folks heading for the grocery store without masks. According to the employees they have someone at the entrance who reminds people. I don't know what they do if someone refuses.

If everyone around here would do the considerate thing and wear masks to protect others who are vulnerable, I might actually go in stores to buy essential items. But they don't, so I won't.

If I need something other than groceries I order from Amazon. If they don't have it, I make do or do without.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Do you get that from Amazon or Harry Potter?

Since it's a mist, I'd guess it's a potion, so probably from the apothecary's in Diagon Alley.

 

[Corporateburnout]

We wear masks every time we have to go into an establishment which has been very infrequent. I also wear a mask when I pickup takeout food. We get our groceries delivered or curbside pickup. Yesterday I had to go into a grocery store for the first time in 7 weeks and everyone was masked and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes.

We have to get used to the new norm.

 

[RobbieB]

We're at the store once a week, down from every day. I hate it.

 

[GravitySucks]

Yes I do. And have not gone back to the stores where the staff was not properly wearing theirs.

 

[harllee]

We're at the store once a week, down from every day. I hate it.

Wow Robbie --you really use to go to the store every day? I would have hated that--I hated going to the store even n the best of times!

 

[Chuckanut]

I
We have had very few diagnosed confirmed cases in our zip code during that time including no new cases since May 5.

An excellent point!

If I lived in one of the more rural counties with five confirmed cases and no deaths, I would probably be more care free about wearing a mask, though I would still keep one with me when around unfamiliar people (ie. strangers and other potential carriers).

However, I live in a county that has plenty of infected people and more than it's share of fatalities due to this disease. One good thing, I noted that in the past two week the state daily death count has dropped from double digits to single digits. Since that is about the only statistic that is rather absolute and not subject to various qualifications, I find the trend encouraging.

 

[kyzymurgist]

I don't understand all the complaints about breathing with masks. Can only assume they are homemade cloth masks. FYI, there are now plenty of surgical type masks on Amazon.

 

[Amethyst]

+1 Well before COVID-19, we had engineered our shopping down to 1/month BJs, every 2 weeks Walmart, and other stores only as needed. It was a matter of saving time for living - in a different sense than a pandemic one.

Wow Robbie --you really use to go to the store every day? I would have hated that--I hated going to the store even n the best of times!

 

[RobbieB]

Wow Robbie --you really use to go to the store every day? I would have hated that--I hated going to the store even n the best of times!

Every day. My day used to revolve around lunch. I'd go out and eat somewhere and then do whatever other errands I had. Just make 1 trip a day middle of the day. Grocery, hardware store, post office, home depot, doctor, dentist, drugstore, liquor store (bevmo) whatever.

I'd go have lunch and do at least one other thing, it was never lunch and back.

 

[timo2]

Of course I wear a mask. The staff all has one on and it is disrespectful not to wear one in return.

 

[LOL!]

If I lived in one of the more rural counties with five confirmed cases and no deaths, I would probably be more care free about wearing a mask, though I would still keep one with me when around unfamiliar people (ie. strangers and other potential carriers). ....

Just a note:
My zip code is not rural. The reported population density is about 2700 people per square mile. About a third of the deaths in my county were at a nearby senior living center early on, so those deaths scared the bejeezus out of everybody close by. Folks around here then got pretty serious with social distancing and there haven't been any nearby deaths reported in a while though things are still happening in the rest of the county.

It is interesting how social behavior is affected by circumstances, population density, number of nearby nursing homes, and other demographics.