Your views online
Face mask hostility
With the predictability of night following day, the backlash against mandatory face masks has been under way in earnest this week as shoppers in England were told they would be compulsory from July 24. Our readers had their say about Helen Mcardle’s article about the hostility towards wearing face masks.
“There is plenty of evidence that seatbelts and vaccines are effective. There is little, if any, scientific evidence that face masks are.”
John Moir, heraldscotland.com
“Why do surgeons wear face masks during operations? I know, it is to reduce the oxygen they breathe so they are on the point of passing out as they cut people open.”
Iain Stewart, heraldscotland.com
If everyone is wearing them then it reduces oral transmission of viruses and bacteria considerably. Surgeons wear them for this reason as much as for their own protection. Dr Douglas Mckenzie,
heraldscotland.com
“If masks are so important and effective, why are they only being introduced now, and not back in March? There is something else at work here, and it is not pleasant.”
Frank Mcgee, heraldscotland.com
If they were effective why did it spread in China, which has a culture of face masks? And that culture is mainly for sick people trying to stop passing on an illness, not prevention of getting it. They are simply not effective against respiratory diseases.
Mark Innes, heraldscotland.com
Scots with Covid-19
It was revealed the vast majority of Scotland’s population remain at risk of catching the coronavirus, according to an antibody study published on the day the country re-opened pubs, restaurants and hairdressers.
“I assume Nicola Sturgeon’s elimination strategy just keeps us in lockdown until we revert to hunting, gathering and foraging in a face mask?”
Alan Mason, heraldscotland.com
“Could the low infection rate be because we were all hidden away in lockdown? And as for antibodies, I thought immunity was gained because the body, having once been infected, has the template to make new antibodies if the bug appears again. The old antibodies don’t hang about.”
Dallas Carter, heraldscotland.com
“It’s likely thousands of people across Scotland had the virus back in December, January and February, before there was any testing.
“Some GPS called it the mystery flu. But the serological tests are only less than half the picture. More people have innate immunity, from T cells or just have a strong enough immune system (Vit D /zinc levels probably key) to fight off a mild infection.”
A. Pointer, heraldscotland.com
Lewis statement
Julian Lewis, the new chairman of Parliament’s intelligence and security committee, has claimed prime Minister Boris Johnson issued an “improper request” when he asked MPS to vote for a particular candidate for the chairman/woman security committee.
“Another step too far by Mr Cummings [PM’S adviser]. Thank goodness there are still some MPS with integrity.”
Michael Lloyd, heraldscotland.com
“What have the people of England done by handing power to Johnson/cummings? The checks and balances built in to Westminster are being demolished – we are heading to a place where Johnson will be able to act like Putin, a dictator.”
Alistair Campbell, heraldscotland.com
“I still find it astonishing [ex-transport secretary Chris] Grayling could be considered for further positions of responsibility. His name has become a byword for incompetence.”
Graham Smith, heraldscotland.com