on the subject of masks

[Rogar]

The topic seems to be gaining some steam. Today's Politico had and article presenting the sides of the argument. I have some masks in the garage from a home project that I may wear for my once every week or two shopping adventure. I visited my PCP a couple of weeks ago and actually would have been more comfortable if he and his nurse were wearing masks, but it could be there just have not been enough to go around. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...tration-156327


I have a friend who works in a walk in clinic and she said she gets one N95 mask for the day and somehow disinfects it at the end of the day for re-use. It seems silly to suggest the general population wear masks when there are not even enough for medical staff. I could see the same panic shopping we had for TP.

[JaneV2.0]

There's no reason home sewers (sewists?) can't make serviceable fabric masks with various inserts to make them more effective. At least one fabric store up here is partnering with Evergreen Hospital to facilitate mask-making by a platoon of volunteers. More and more medical people are weighing in on the side of mask wearing.

[pinkytoe]

I downloaded a pattern, used cotton pillowcases and two layers of interfacing for the filter and will sew up a couple today for our grocery shopping forays. One can even insert a twistee across the bridge of the nose to close it up a bit. I always wondered why Asian ladies at the grocery wore masks.

[JaneV2.0]

I downloaded a pattern, used cotton pillowcases and two layers of interfacing for the filter and will sew up a couple today for our grocery shopping forays. One can even insert a twistee across the bridge of the nose to close it up a bit. I always wondered why Asian ladies at the grocery wore masks.

I've seen lots of helpful articles on the subject. Someone suggested cutting a strip of aluminum from a food container to sew into nose area of the mask. You could also use pipe cleaners, etc. I've also heard that the tie-on version is more comfortable than the elastic over the ears version for extended wear.

[Rogar]

For us non sewers who are on the stay at home routine and only go out for necessaries, I suppose there's the option of folding a bandanna in half at the corners.

[ApatheticNoMore]

For us non sewers who are on the stay at home routine and only go out for necessaries, I suppose there's the option of folding a bandanna in half at the corners.

well there is probably the option of just buying a mask, what you can't get is the N95 and maybe other medical masks etc. But cloth masks, I don't think they are impossible to find, don't know how effective they would be but.

[JaneV2.0]

I ordered black fabric dust masks and HEPA vacuum bags to cut up and line them with. Don't know if I'll venture out enough to need them, but if so, they'll match my stylish black nitrile gloves.

[Simplemind]

A friend of mine is sewing them like mad. She has me looking for organizations to take them. She gave me six today so that DH could make a run into Target to get meds for his mom that they won't deliver. He said nobody in the store was wearing masks except the people in the pharmacy. They loved his and asked where he got it. Score!! I've always questioned not wearing them. As soon as he came home he stripped and threw clothes and mask in the wash.

[Tradd]

I was at Walmart today and an elderly man was wearing a paper surgical mask. The only thing is that he just had it covering his mouth, not his nose.

[SteveinMN]

an elderly man was wearing a paper surgical mask. The only thing is that he just had it covering his mouth, not his nose.

That guy probably thinks he's protected. He isn't. None of us are protected from him, either. So even if everyone in the country had a pile of masks right at hand, without proper instruction and some way to correct the misapplications, is wearing one any more than another act in Security Theater? Not saying we should all go maskless; just that a rush to have everyone wear masks seems unlikely to result in the desired level of protection and could very well lull people (on both sides of the mask) into thinking they're protected when they're not.