Flying with mask

[MEL_Traveller]

There are a few things I would like to see people do on planes or not do as the case may be but I don't see why I should be allowed to force them to agree with my requests
As for your suggestion the daily case number for all Australia is 48000 at the moment or 0.4% of our population. So the chance of an unmnown case being on a plane departing Australia is likely to be less than that. But even so if you left on an A380 with 400 people on it there would possibly be 1-2 positive cases onboard. So you are making 397 people wear a mask that don't have to.

And further in mask wearing countries South Korea is also not perfect - 349 deaths per million population. And they are just above us on vaccination rates.

Well… they are the rules. While the rules exist they should be followed.

The domestic connection was more of the concern… no testing there. The middle aged business guy behind me on the jetway for the MEL-SYD flight was chatting on his phone… so didn’t think he needed a mask on while talking. As we inched down the jetway he was right on top of me… about 2 feet away. It took three requests, the last one firm, to get him to keep his distance.

On the international flight the guy two rows behind was not being compliant with anything. Standing during taxi, getting stuff from the overhead bin during the safety demo. Not wearing a mask. And coughing into the air in front of him.

So great… mobile phone guy doesn’t believe in the rules and doesn’t want to follow them. People around him can’t get back to Oz when they fail their pre-departure test. The latter can end up costing thousands of dollars.

 

[drron]

I follow the rules but I can agitate for a change in rules. I really think mandates are totally counter productive. One opinion I have seen is that vaccine fanaticism causes an increase in vaccine skepticism which increases vaccine fanaticism and on and on.
Just ask yourself have anti mandate rallies around the world become any less numerous or vocal with these mandates still present though getting shakier? I don't think so.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I don’t want someone else’s covid.

Well, l have some bad news for you. Everyone will at some point get Covid-19 (including you) regardless of what you do (masks and proper hygiene).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well, l have some bad news for you. Everyone will at some point get Covid-19 (including you) regardless of what you do (masks and proper hygiene).

That might be. But at the moment the potential impact on travel plans is significant. I’d rather everyone takes the measures stipulated.

 

[Quickstatus]

I’d rather everyone takes the measures stipulated.

And based on the above earlier comments, stipulated measures should be then enforced because there will be people who don't follow the rules.
How do you propose to enforce the measures?. Police powers with powers of arrest. Multiple aircraft diversions? the moment someone drops their mask below the nose?. One lesson from the pandemic is the impossibility of completely enforcing Covid rules. Mask wearing is one of them, especially when the evidence for mask wearing - especially the surgical/clots masks is poor.

 

[drron]

And who wants to use an N93 even for the 9 hours to SIN much less the 13+ hours from there to Europe. I was very happy to take off my N93 fitted mask after 4 hours for my lunch break. I once tried keeping it on for 13 plus hours with 2 meal breaks but took it off after 9 hours as I couldn't stand it. I point out that after each meal break it was a new mask.

 

[N860CR]

That might be. But at the moment the potential impact on travel plans is significant. I’d rather everyone takes the measures stipulated.

I agree that there is certainly an impact on travel at the moment if you return a positive test result, but the faster we move away from masks and rules the less chance of ongoing travel disruptions.

If you honestly believe that wearing a home made or surgical mask being moved with your dirty hands between bites is going to protect you then you’ve really fallen quite hard for the covid hysteria.

For the two weeks prior to departing on my trip I actually did become a bit covid crazy and, what do you know, that was when I finally got it! That was being masked up everywhere, not going to restaurants/bars and overdoing it with the sanitizer.

This virus is now nothing more than a cold. It has a lower mortality rate than seasonal influenza. I have lost count of the number of people who I know who have “had it” and the common theme is “I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t get tested”.

It’s 2022. Time to move on. As the rest of the world is doing at a very much accelerated rate.

 

[clifford]

Well, l have some bad news for you. Everyone will at some point get Covid-19 (including you) regardless of what you do (masks and proper hygiene).

You sure about that? Please state your source for that and your qualifications to make that assessment...

 

[N860CR]

You sure about that? Please state your source for that and your qualifications to make that assessment...

Pretty simple maths mate. I know you don’t want to hear it, but we’re looking at minimum 4 million and estimates of 8 million “infections” already in this country. There’s only 25 million of us, the virus isn’t going anywhere and it’s going to cross everyone’s path at some point.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree that there is certainly an impact on travel at the moment if you return a positive test result, but the faster we move away from masks and rules the less chance of ongoing travel disruptions.

If you honestly believe that wearing a home made or surgical mask being moved with your dirty hands between bites is going to protect you then you’ve really fallen quite hard for the covid hysteria.

For the two weeks prior to departing on my trip I actually did become a bit covid crazy and, what do you know, that was when I finally got it! That was being masked up everywhere, not going to restaurants/bars and overdoing it with the sanitizer.

This virus is now nothing more than a cold. It has a lower mortality rate than seasonal influenza. I have lost count of the number of people who I know who have “had it” and the common theme is “I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t get tested”.

It’s 2022. Time to move on. As the rest of the world is doing at a very much accelerated rate.

As pointed out by drron, wearing a mask is going to potentially stop *me* giving it to someone else. It may not be perfect, but it’s probably better than nothing.

Your view is that you don’t mind if you catch it. My view is that I’d rather not. Australia’s view at the moment is that they rather i didn’t catch it… because if I do they won’t let me back.

 

[N860CR]

As pointed out by drron, wearing a mask is going to potentially stop *me* giving it to someone else. It may not be perfect, but it’s probably better than nothing.

Your view is that you don’t mind if you catch it. My view is that I’d rather not. Australia’s view at the moment is that they rather i didn’t catch it… because if I do they won’t let me back.

So in a week or so when the requirements are dropped, we can stop justifying putting a mask on between sips of wine?

Now over a year since you said in a few months we’ll all be vaccinated and it’ll be over.

 

[drron]

You sure about that? Please state your source for that and your qualifications to make that assessment...

And in Wales at the beginning of the year.97.1%of over 16s had antibodies. About 73% vaccinated.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection survey (antibodies data): 10 to 16 January 2022 [HTML] | GOV.WALES

Analysis of the proportion of people in Wales testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies for 10 to 16 January 2022.

gov.wales

But 67% of 8-11 were antibody positive and their vaccinations hadn't started.
And since the begiining of January there have been an extra 9 million cases reported.


So it really is a question of when unless you remove yourself from all human contact.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So in a week or so when the requirements are dropped, we can stop justifying putting a mask on between sips of wine?

Now over a year since you said in a few months we’ll all be vaccinated and it’ll be over.

Whatever I have been doing has worked for me, so far.

Whatever you were doing did not.

I'm willing to minimise any inconvenience.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Whatever I have been doing has worked for me, so far.

Whatever you were doing did not.

I'm willing to minimise any inconvenience.

This is disgusting

You are shaming someone's behaviour and blaming them for contracting covid?

A virus which has infected literally billions of people worldwide?

I think you should take a step back and reflect on the nature of your comments and how appropriate they are.

 

[justinbrett]

Whatever I have been doing has worked for me, so far.

Whatever you were doing did not.

I'm willing to minimise any inconvenience.

Maybe delete this post.

 

[N860CR]

Whatever I have been doing has worked for me, so far.

Whatever you were doing did not.

I'm willing to minimise any inconvenience.

Didn’t answer my question, did you? But again, you’ve proven my point so many times over. In one breath you’re saying others need to restrict themselves to supposedly protect you, then you say what you’re doing has saved you? Quite a typical response from somebody who just can’t let go. I do wonder how covid-obsessed people will ever integrate back into life.

 

[N860CR]

Maybe delete this post.

No, I think it’s important to see both sides. We’re not going to move forward unless these sorts of people learn to live with the virus, so silencing them isn’t going to help.

 

[drron]

Whatever I have been doing has worked for me, so far.

Whatever you were doing did not.

I'm willing to minimise any inconvenience.

I am pretty sure that what I am doing now is much the same as what @N860CR has been doing and it has worked for me.
Now he picked it up in South Africa which is a very different place to your travels so you can not compare the 2 situations.

 

[N860CR]

I am pretty sure that what I am doing now is much the same as what @N860CR has been doing and it has worked for me.
Now he picked it up in South Africa which is a very different place to your travels so you can not compare the 2 situations.

Interestingly, when doing the maths, it seems more likely that I picked it up in Australia prior to departure or, at the very latest, in the lounge in Singapore or onboard. But again goes to prove that it’s simply everywhere and, despite exceeding required precautions, it can be easily contracted.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This is disgusting

You are shaming someone's behaviour and blaming them for contracting covid?

A virus which has infected literally billions of people worldwide?

I think you should take a step back and reflect on the nature of your comments and how appropriate they are.

You’re reading too much into it. N860CR and I disagree on the approach to managing covid. That’s well known. I’d prefer my approach where I don’t have my travel disrupted. I’m not prepared to ‘take what comes’ if it means having to stay an extra week somewhere, get ‘recovered’ documents, rearrange tickets or buy new airfares, and be away from work.