Not a good comparison really - you can see, feel & smell if somebody pisses on you.
There covid germs are invisible, dry, quiet & odourless. You don’t know they’ve hit you until you catch it.
Anyway - like I say, I am exempt for medical reasons & make no apology for not wearing one. I am scrupulous with hand hygiene. I keep my distance & wear a visor if requested.
@carol no, the masks may not prevent you getting C19 but they have been shown to ‘lower the viral load’ and that has been found to be important in determining how severe the the condition is should you catch it.
Having an ‘exemption’ seems counter intuitive to me unless someone has a phycological condition like a fear of being trapped .
I certainly qualify for mask exemption, some days I am so breathless without a mask I have difficulty preforming all but the smallest tasks but the conditions that qualify me to wear a mask in the first place increases the mortality rate for people with my comorbidities if they catch C19 (this has been shown in trials in the US). So I would be foolish not to wear a mask even thought sometimes I find it really difficult to breath through one so I try not to be in an environment where I need to wear one for long.
Also having a regular taste of sever breathlessness gives me some idea of what C19 must be like and I have no desire to be ‘trapped’ in a respirator unable to move for days .
So I would urge anyone who has an exemption (which anyone can have by downloading a card from the government website no permission necessary) if they really need that exemption or would catching C19 be a worse fate that a few moments discomfort.
I have an exemption because I suffer multiple allergies.
The last time I wore a covid mask my eyes swelled up & I developed a rash on my cheeks.
A hospital nurse advised me to wear a visor instead.
I have just been to the chemist this morning for a covid testing kit. I have been helping my family move house these last few days & yesterday my DIL went down with covid. As I have been in very close proximity to her we thought I’d better get tested…
I didn’t know that Meg. Will you let me have the details please?
Thanks. 
@carol Hi Carol if you do a search on Google for hypoallergenic face masks for covid-19 UK you will find a number of different masks.
This one is hypoallergenic, my niece wears one like this for short periods when she has had to go out .
Mask
She also made some herself from cotton .
Avoid man made fibres and go for layers of cotton , making your own is easy (try layers of muslin nappies) again look online and you can add a filter from Boots in a centre pocket so it is not next to your skin.
This one has lots of reviews and is made of silk
Silk mask
Thanks Meg. I’ll look into this. 
If it’s an FFP3 mask then it does protect you. For some reason still in short supply.
The virus is airborne so yes cotton or not they do add a layer of protection .
It’s important to wash them too .
I bought a great mask when I was in China…in November 2019! It’s two layers with an additional filter and a vent.
Amazon have the same for about £15.
I have yet to go inside any public building other than shops - where I always wear a mask.
Off course, they will be mandatory in a couple of weeks or so again, liberation, ain’t burnt the mask yet. 
I wear one in every shop & at the hospital, where it still is mandatory, I believe. In fact I have never seen anyone not wearing one in the hospital or a visor if they are exempt. I also would wear one in our surgery & in the pharmacy, it’s expected.
No. I don’t like them, but as I have to, I do, the moment I leave the indoor space for outside off it comes though.
Going on holiday soon and need to take a test two days prior to return. If positive I’m required to quarantine at my own expense…I’ve been wearing my mask wherever and whenever I’m around others.
I wear one on principle, 18 months of dictation, why for heavens not?
I wear one in shops and supermarkets but I dont see many wearing them anymore
Yes, my dear wife and I commented on that.yesterday. I think we counted about six in the whole store. We seemed to be the odd couple!
Yes Bes, people stare at the ones wearing one now. the cases and deaths are on the rise
I’m still wearing one…many people around here still are, to be honest because this area has a very high number of cases. I’m more likely to glower at the ones who don’t wear a mask, rather than be stared at. 
And I still wipe down my shopping too.
Wasn’t that scientifically proved to be a rather pointless exercise?
I haven’t seen any data to that effect. What I do know is that I feel better knowing I have removed everyone else grubby fingerprints off my shopping
