I was down at the hospital just after eight and left twenty five minutes later, having seen four people breach what I consider acceptable mask etiquette.
One was a staff member chatting to the woman on hygiene duty at the entrance. No mask, despite the signs. Two was a patient, with his mask pulled down to leave his nose uncovered. The benefits of masks are still debatable, but the benefits of wearing one badly are even less obvious. Third was a receptionist who emerged from the office maskless, but laden with a coffee jar and several mugs. She disappeared into a cleaning cupboard to (I assume) make coffee. They spend all that money building the place and the staff have to make coffee in the broom cupboard. Who designs these things? Finally, as I left a doctor arrived. He took a mask from the table at the entrance and just held it to his face as he walked through the building. Is that the sort of grudging use of a mask you expect from a senior member of staff? Are his ears too grand for elastic? What will he do if he needs to use that hand (the other was grasping an attache case)?
All in all, not a great endorsement for the use of masks or the common sense of the staff.
Meanwhile, back at the blood test, I was stabbed in the arm by a woman who had clearly been taught to use a bayonet rather than a needle. As pain radiated through my body I was glad to note that my arm went dead. Whether that was because she hit a nerve or because the band was tight around my arm, I don’t know. I was just glad to lose the feeling. I have had better testing sessions.
I arrived at work an hour and a half early and started packing parcels. We only had three to do and I then took the selfies I am using with this post and started cataloguing medallions of Edward VIII. Many of them are bland. Some are dull, others anodyne. And still more of them are boring, uninspired or unremarkable.
Empire Day Medal – Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII
Some are very interesting but unfortunately many are not. You will learn more, whether you want to or not, as I write my posts on collectables.
At lunchtime we had a customer call, without appointment. She was a nice lady who wore a mask. and sold us some coins her father had put to one side. Some were silver, so she walked away with nearly £50.
Then we had thin man, also with no appointment, who had a copy ancient Greek coin as sold to tourists in happier days. It was worthless and he ejected little blobs of spittle as he spoke. Several fell on my hands. I held my breath and regretted not wearing a mask.
Finally we had a collector who looked at our Saxon coins and bought one before deciding to buy himself a second-hand coin cabinet as a belated birthday treat.
It was a very mixed day.
My sister made my mask. It has a nose clip and is generally an excellent mask, fitting well and being quite comfortable in wear. It is, if I could find any fault, perhaps a mask with a pattern more suited to an aunt, or a coin dealer wanting to get in touch with his feminine side, but it is a minor point.
Julia has just made sausage and mash with carrot and parsnip mash, sprouts and onion sauce – a nice plate of comfort food for the end of a wintry day. I will load the photos and go to eat.
All in all, apart from the stabbed arm and the spittle shower, it has been an excellent day.
A man in a chintz mask
I heard that infection rates are 1 person in 2000-2500 people. If you are concerned about being infected, that is still a number but there is also the issue of viral load (ie not much from one person).
The behaviour of the staff in the hospital does seem rather odd. I don’t want to wear a mask either, though. Fortunately, I can choose to avoid places where it is compulsory.
It’s like a lot of things – the worry is worse than the actuality. 🙂
I don’t wear a mask much either, and I don’t wash my hands much or bleach door handles but if I am paid to be clean, like when I was working in the farm kitchen, I do try to set a good example.
If you’re making food for other people it is probably polite to wash your hands
Not just polite but vital. Same when making the coffee at work. But when I make a drink for myself I rely on luck and natural immunity. 🙂
Do you mean you wash your hands in the shop when making a coffee for another person?
We no longer make coffee for customers but yes, when making coffee for the others I wash my hands because I don’t want to pass anything on,
I’d never thought of that – eg when making a coffee for a friend or colleague.
It probably does no good but one of my colleagues suffers from high anxiety levels and the other has a wife who quarantines all mail and groceries before allowing it into the house so I try to fit in. 🙂
Oh, I see. I have no reason to make coffee for anyone, working from home, not inviting anyone into my home.
Good plan. It’s a lot easier that way. 🙂
😊
Poor Quercus! I cringed at the stabbed arm and spittle shower reports. I hope you threw your clothes in the wash and took a good hot shower with lots of soap when you got home from work. Your population seems no more mask compliant that ours over here, and I see all kinds of people wearing masks that leave mouth, nose or both uncovered. Masks to help contain aerosols emitted by the mask wearer, but these people don’t seem to know, or care.
I made straight for the hand gel when he keft the shop. To be fair, we have been told so many things it’s not a surprise we are ambivalent about masks.
Very fetching, Quercus
Thank you Derrick, I knew I could rely on you for reassurance. 🙂
🙂
Great mask but what a day! What the heck is the matter with people?
We don’t always get the best and brightest in the shop. 🙂 But if they have wallets and a pulse…
That’s something, I suppose.
🙂
Like the mask
🙂 Thank you
ah pink becomes you
Hmmm…
The spittle shower must have been unsettling. But the mask is a delight.
It would have been unsettling even without the Covid situation. 🙂
Indeed it would.