on the subject of masks

[pinkytoe]

It has always made sense to me that masks of any sort filter out bad stuff. Even if it's just 10%, it's still something. And yet we were all told at the beginning of this that masks did not help at all so don't bother. I am thinking about making some with materials I have here at home. If nothing else, it makes me feel a little more protected going to the grocery. Thoughts?

[JaneV2.0]

It has always made sense to me that masks of any sort filter out bad stuff. Even if it's just 10%, it's still something. And yet we were all told at the beginning of this that masks did not help at all so don't bother. I am thinking about making some with materials I have here at home. If nothing else, it makes me feel a little more protected going to the grocery. Thoughts?

This is what a doctor in China has to say on the subject:

Q: What mistakes are other countries making?

A: The big mistake in the U.S. and Europe, in my opinion, is that people aren’t wearing masks. This virus is transmitted by droplets and close contact. Droplets play a very important role—you’ve got to wear a mask, because when you speak, there are always droplets coming out of your mouth. Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020

They are another tool in the arsenal. There's a reason health care professionals wear surgical and N95 masks.

[iris lilies]

My opinion: Masks dont really hurt anything when used by average citizens who are practicing social isolation techniques. If nothing else, a mask on our face reminds us about touching eyes, nose, mouth as no-nos.

[mschrisgo2]

I suspect we in the US have been discouraged from wearing masks because of the intense hoarding of supplies, and wanting them to be available to healthcare professionals and others on the front lines. But they already got all bought up, but I guess it is probably reducing the likelihood of a huge black market of overpriced masks.

[ApatheticNoMore]

actual masks maybe, but you can't get any now, so it's largely a moot point.

[SteveinMN]

I think people overestimate the value of many masks. Masks have to be fit correctly and taken off carefully or much of the protection they provide is lost. Masks also are not intended to be permanent; ideally if I go to the store wearing a mask, I should either dispose of it or launder it when I get home. It's not something to keep by the back door next to the car keys. And I wonder how many people think they're truly protected by fitting something to their face, and, therefore, start making more trips or being a little more careless about physical distancing because they think the mask covers the other behaviors.

I'm not saying a mask can't be at least a little helpful. I just don't believe the way most people will use a mask will protect them (or others) as much as they hope.

[razz]

Tammy on the frontlines expressed it well. It prevents spray spreading when coming out of all mouths, ill or well, if we use them and so it helps to protect others from us. That is the perfect reason use them. Loving our neighbours as ourselves.

I met a neighbour today when out walking my dog who advised that she and four other women are making masks using the cricut pattern https://jennifermaker.com/face-mask-patterns-cricut/. They had made some of the rectangular masks but were advised by the healthcare workers that the rectangular design did not provide enough protection for them to use them. She also advised that they were having a very hard time finding 1/4" elastic. They had made and donated 120 already. I must go downstairs and check my supply of elastic and suitable fabric. I did read somewhere that it would be great if one side was a dark colour and the other light for ease of determining inside and outside.

[Tammy]

Yes, we discouraged masks at first because there wasn’t enough for the healthcare system, and that’s where we needed to keep them. But now that people are making their own out of cloth, it’s certainly another step in the whole process of keeping people safe. And yes, it protects others, not yourself.

[Gardnr]

They had made some of the rectangular masks but were advised by the healthcare workers that the rectangular design did not provide enough protection for them to use them.

False. Standard surgical masks are rectangular. Been wearing them for 39 years. There is 1 surgical mask called a duckbill. The N95 mask must be test fitted each year and it seals to the face the entire periphery.

[pony mom]

At the assisted living facility where I work, we were today given masks to use, but only one each, to be used daily. The residents in such places in NJ are now not permitted to eat together in dining rooms; instead, we deliver meals to their own rooms. We are told we are protecting the residents from our germs, but so many have health issues and colds/intestinal problems. I think they're more of a benefit to us right now.

We are having problems getting supples as well. We have the blue stiff shaped masks to use. They're uncomfortable and make it difficult to breathe normally, worse if you wear glasses, which fog up. We all have to work with what we have and do what we can in these times.