General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPlease, do not wear masks. Health workers need them more that us.
Masks will not protect the wearer only others from droplets. Use a bandana, or something. The doctor pleaded on MSNBC about LA Garcetti order.
htuttle
(23,738 posts)...and I'm a terrible sewist. I made it large enough to cover my beard as well, which an N95 would not do.
It's easy, and if you make it out of cloth, you can wash it in soapy water and reuse it.
I also wouldn't assume it does 'nothing' for the wearer. Every droplet it does catch is one less on your face. I mist mine with isopropyl before I take it off once I get home to minimize the risk of transferring it from the outside of the mask.
htuttle
(23,738 posts)Best to assume that everyone has it right now, and proceed accordingly. That way, you protect both yourself and others.
question everything
(47,460 posts)mitch96
(13,883 posts)mouth face or eyes. That is the route of transmission. You get the virus if someone coughs in your face or you touch your infected hands to your mouth nose or eyes. A simple paper towel or vacuum cleaner mask and glasses will stop the transmission to YOU. Hopefully you don't wind up in the ER/ICU infected.. Better yet self contain and only go out to shop for food, exercise walk or walk the dog. You will decrease the %age of you getting infected by others... YMMV
m
janterry
(4,429 posts)I purchased it from etsy.
My daughter (much to my surprise) has painters masks upstairs. Five? They are old and she has used them before.
No one is suggesting that we go out and buy N95's We know that. Really.
But I'm going to wear mine. If I had any kind of supply, I'd donate them.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)janterry
(4,429 posts)I hope that eventually going to have a surplus. Those that have retooled themselves to make these - will have a market (after medical staff - then us).
Blecht
(3,803 posts)It is not an either/or proposition. You don't have to be competing with health care workers.
If you can sew, you can make your own.
The materials might be in your house already -- they were in ours. Hydrophobic polypropylene mesh from bed skirts, cotton from t-shirts, replaceable filters made from coffee filters. Straps from elastic material found in other clothing.
catrose
(5,065 posts)sir pball
(4,741 posts)99.97% 0.3 ?m efficiency, equivalent to N100. Not sure how easily you could improvise a mask from one, but it might be worth looking into.
jmbar2
(4,869 posts)Clash City Rocker
(3,396 posts)catrose
(5,065 posts)sir pball
(4,741 posts)Sibling post has something that looks pretty good, though an exhaust valve would be ideal to prevent CO2 buildup. Cheers!
mitch96
(13,883 posts)HEPA vacuum cleaner bags are close to 99% or sos they say...
m
Dream Girl
(5,111 posts)People can make masks or wear scarves. In the near future, masks will will be available and of course if you have medical grade masks, wear them.
kickitup
(355 posts)Masks will not protect the wearer only others from droplets
Which is why we need to be wearing them when there are asymptomatic spreaders.
question everything
(47,460 posts)LisaL
(44,973 posts)Do tell.
Ilsa
(61,691 posts)I took my MIL to the emergency department. We were all required to wear them.
No one should be making assumptions about how others happen to be in possession of masks. If you have them, wear them.
shanti
(21,675 posts)from long past visits to my doctor's office. They're old, but I wear them to change the cat litter.
zackymilly
(2,375 posts)They are knitted and made to cover your ears when wearing a hard hat outside in the cold.
They also can be pulled down around your neck and pulled up and cover your mouth and nose, which is why I bought that many, so every employee can have one, even inside workers, in case we are all told to cover up. In the winter months, a lot of our outside workers wear two: One over their hard hat to cover their ears, and the other one on their neck to cover their mouth and nose.
They are well woven, (you can't see through them when held up to the light), washable, and comfortable.
Since they are winter wear and made for hard hats, there's a supply of them out there.
We've been using these for outside work for 20 years.
$6.00 each. Most industrial supply companies carry them.
They stretch and have an elastic band on one side.
[link:|
LisaL
(44,973 posts)The gaiter's not actually attached to the helmet.
zackymilly
(2,375 posts)zackymilly
(2,375 posts)Like this. Pull it down to your neck, and then back up over your mouth and nose. It would be easy for someone to make them who is sewing-savvy.
[link:|
sfstaxprep
(9,998 posts)I completely understand the motivation for asking people to refrain from wearing masks. But the bottom line is that they do help, and I think that people who are genuinely concerned about their health, have a right to wear them, and shouldn't be discouraged from doing so.
Masks are ubiquitous in China & South Korea, and helped contain the virus, and that should be relevant.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)Maybe if we were told from the start to wear masks when we go out, we wouldn't be in this current predicament right now, with so many people infected.
Alex4Martinez
(2,193 posts)I use a neck gaiter to hold these filter papers in place.
Filter squares: https://www.amazon.com/CP3-Environment-Purifiers-FreshAir-Surround/dp/B01KAZ0ULS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=FW2YW26H8VRB&dchild=1&keywords=hepa+filter+paper&qid=1585843096&sprefix=hepa+filter%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-3
Neck gaiters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SVN4BCT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You can probably buy HEPA filters or vacuum bags at markets or hardware stores and fashion a neck gaiter at home using whatever is at hand.
HEPA is superior to N95 and N99:
Respirator Rating Number Class
95 - Removes 95% of all particles that are at least 0.3 microns in diameter
99 - Removes 99% of particles that are at least 0.3 microns in diameter
100 - Removes 99.97% of all particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. HE or HEPA quality filter.
https://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/resources/dust-masks-whats-the-difference.html
NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)people without symptoms can spread the disease.
OnDoutside
(19,949 posts)Maybe the biggest issue is the hands, as people touch their mouths or noses with their hands and then put those hands on surfaces, door knobs etc ? Keeping the hands frequently washed/sanitized may still be the most logical option.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)Mosby
(16,295 posts)Kaleva
(36,291 posts)"Surgical masks as good as respirators for flu and respiratory virus protection
by UT Southwestern Medical Center"
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-09-surgical-masks-good-respirators-flu.html
"Yes, a surgical mask can help prevent the flu, Sherif Mossad, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Flu is carried in air droplets, so a mask would mechanically prevent the flu virus from reaching other people. It would work both ways, says Dr. Mossad, preventing transmission of the flu virus to others and for keeping a mask-wearer from picking up an infection.
Surgical masks to prevent the flu can be found in major drugstores and online, and yours doesn't need to be fancy to help. A simple disposable mask is fine, just be sure the packaging notes that it protects against airborne particles, Susan Besser, MD, a family medicine doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians at Overlea in Baltimore, Maryland tells Health. And splurge for a value-sized pack. Disposable is best and you should discard your mask after each use, says Dr. Besser. If a mask gets wetand it will by simply breathing into itthe effectiveness of its protective effect is reduced."
https://www.health.com/condition/cold-flu-sinus/surgical-mask-flu-prevention
"One study shows that when there's a sick family member in the house, other family members could cut their risk of getting sick by 60% to 80% by using face masks consistently and correctly -- in combination with frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with the sick person."
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/swine-flu-h1n1-and-face-masks#1
"Donning a face mask either a surgical mask or a P2/N95 respirator mask (high particulate filter mask) boosts protection from severe respiratory illnesses such as influenza and SARS, say researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). These masks are not necessarily the same as the dust masks that some people use when cleaning or doing construction work.
In the study, adult mask wearers in the home were four times more likely than non-wearers to be protected against respiratory viruses, including the common cold."
https://www.livescience.com/7661-masks-protect-colds-flu.html
"Not so for the World Health Organization or the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
They collectively recommended regular surgical masks except in high risk circumstances, such as during open suctioning of airway secretions and other procedures that could "aerosolize" the H1N1 virus."
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/infectioncontrol/16278"
"According to a study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, families with kids who had flu-like symptoms and used the masks properly were 80% less likely to be diagnosed with the same thing.
Another study looked at 400 people who had the flu found that family members who wore a surgical mask and washed their hands reduced their chance of getting the flu by 70%.
Individual brands of masks and that sort of thing hasn't been studied, but the few studies that have looked at them do have an effect in some studies, up to 50 to 80% reduction in transmission, UW virology expert Alex Greninger said. They seem to stop large droplets, and I think the other key thing to mention with masks is that it really depends on what you're willing to wear.
Coronavirus is most commonly spread through the air by coughing or sneezing or though close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
While masks do seem promising, it's also important to utilize other preventive measures. Make sure you wash your hands often during flu season, especially if you're around others who may be sick. Also, be sure to get your annual flu shot to protect yourself and others from spreading the virus."
https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/surgical-mask-effectiveness/281-9c762e52-c2ec-4dec-b5f3-77ee833fca1e
"At the start of flu season in the last two years, participants were randomly assigned to six weeks of wearing a standard medical procedure mask alone, mask use and hand sanitizer use, or a control group with no intervention. Researchers followed students for incidence of influenza like illness symptoms, defined as cough with at least one other characteristic symptom such as fever, chills or body aches, Monto said.
From the third week on, both the mask only and mask/hand sanitizer interventions showed a significant or nearly significant reduction in the rate of influenza-like illness symptoms in comparison to the control group. The observed reduction in rate of flu-like symptoms remained even after adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, hand washing practices, sleep quality, and flu vaccination."
https://news.umich.edu/masks-hand-washing-prevent-spread-of-flu-like-symptoms-by-up-to-50-percent/
cayugafalls
(5,639 posts)It only makes sense that a mask would help, even if in some small way.
One thing I have noticed right now is that you can not buy N95 mask from vendors if you are not a hospital or emergency services provider. So we technically can not even get mask for personal usage right now.
Stay well.
Kaleva
(36,291 posts)Wearing a mask while out and about along with proper hand washing, staying home as much as possible, maintaining social distance and disinfecting high touch areas in the home can greatly reduce the chances of being infected.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)It's bad enough CDC is giving out this advice.
question everything
(47,460 posts)Lunabell
(6,068 posts)Last edited Thu Apr 2, 2020, 02:11 PM - Edit history (1)
We're all in this together.
LisaL
(44,973 posts)is going to help medical workers.
NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)why are we shipping 280 million masks in ONE DAY to foreign buyers?
Thank you for all your work as a nurse.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)and make them for others, so they too can wear them everytime they go out.
liberalmuse
(18,672 posts)I can't really sew too well, but these were very easy. I also have some cheap dollar store painter's masks found in my stash, but they are falling apart and essentially useless and nothing that could be donated.
cayugafalls
(5,639 posts)And a few leftover medical masks and gloves from when my mom had cancer.
I'm not going to donate my masks. Not that I don't feel their need, but I figure in the grand scheme of things those mask will do me better than it will them. Perhaps, I am selfish. Perhaps, I am overly cautious. Besides, I only have a few. What will last me a couple months would last a caregiver less than a day
I will wear the mask to help me remember to not touch my face and to prevent the spread if I am asymptomatic. I also wear gloves. I don't have any hand sanitizer, but I wash my hands faithfully.
We need to remain calm and understand as much as we can about the virus and how it spreads and follow certain rules to prevent infection otherwise we will make mistakes that could be costly.
Rule 1: Do not touch your face.
Rule 2: Wash your hands after touching suspect surfaces.
Rule 3: Social Distancing.
Rule 4: Do not maintain prolonged contact with suspect carriers.
Rule 5: Be kind.
A good video on the rules was put out by this Dr. in NYC. He also said that masks are not needed, but wear them if it makes you feel better.
https://vimeo.com/399733860
I hope we all come out of this ok. I hope everyone here and I am one of the lucky 80%.
Stay well.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Maybe health workers need them more, but what this country needs to be doing is ramping up mask production so everyone's wearing them.
JCMach1
(27,555 posts)Cover rules in public
Turbineguy
(37,312 posts)Butterflylady
(3,539 posts)Gave me a n95 mask and I'm wearing it. I'm still in treatment for breast cancer so I'm at top of the list for being vulnerable.
northoftheborder
(7,571 posts).. . but think it's a grade above the dust masks. I've already worn it, so can't donate it. I'm not going anywhere to need it, but for just in case...........
Mersky
(4,980 posts)I purchased quite a few in 2018 after my moms cancer diagnosis (shes well, now, not immune deficient as far as we know).
Will wear a washable one out of the pack that was already opened when I go out tomorrow. Am reserving a relative smattering of surgical masks for when/if someone in my circle becomes ill.
Will probably make a couple homemade/no sew masks for if/when I go anywhere next week.
Basically, Im saying, be sensible about masks: give as many masks as you can to frontline healthcare workers, keep some for your group, and wear homemade/washable ones when youre well and need to take care of essential tasks in public.
Raine
(30,540 posts)which takes nothing away from a healthcare worker!
milestogo
(16,829 posts)Medical staff are not allowed to bring in masks - they can only use what is supplied to them.
I'm going to try to be one less infected patient in need of care.
sobenji
(316 posts)I have a painters mask. Do you want me to donate that to a hospital? No.
Im going to wear it if I have to go out.
Its better than nothing.
MenloParque
(512 posts)I bought a pack of 200 of the blue surgical masks on amazon last year to prevent allergy flare ups when doing yardwork. As a matter of fact just last week my doctor INSISTED on me to keep wearing them due to my asthma and allergies. They have tested the hallways in hospitals and medical clinics - the virus stays airborne for at least 3-4 hours. Shame on anyone telling anyone not to wear masks if they own them.
kcr
(15,315 posts)question everything
(47,460 posts)LisaL
(44,973 posts)Thanks but no thanks.
kcr
(15,315 posts)So, I did some googling. She does not say what you say in the OP. For one thing, it's her personal opinion that a healthy person doesn't need to wear a mask "Just to go to the grocery store." For another, it's outdated from March 20th. If she were asked now, her answer may be different.