If you're making your own face mask... what are the key elements? The pleats? The ear loops? I wouldn't assume you need the standard features of a commercially produced paper mask. The key — I'm guessing — is the fabric itself and the seal and perhaps getting some distance between your face and the fabric. Those loops around the ears seem like they are for health care workers — and other workers — who are actively engaged in something and who need to put them on and take them off quickly. For the civilian carefully venturing out in the world, we have some leeway, don't we?
From the NYT article:
The internet abounds with mask designs, but the research suggests that as long as the mask covers your nose and mouth and is comfortable to wear, the specific pattern you choose may not matter very much. Various household materials differ in their effectiveness — in Davies’s study, vacuum-cleaner bags offered better filtration than fabrics made of cotton blends, but plain cotton T-shirt fabric still provided a useful barrier.....At yesterday's Task Force press briefing — transcript here — President Trump let us know — and know and know — that we could use a scarf:
You know, you can use a scarf. A lot of people have scarfs and you can use a scarf. Scarf would be very good, and my feeling is if people want to do it, there’s certainly no harm to it. I would say do it, but use a scarf if you want, rather than going out and getting a mask or whatever. We’re making millions and millions of masks, but we want them to go to the hospitals. I mean, one of the things that Dr. Fauci told me today is we don’t want them competing. We don’t want everybody competing with the hospitals where you really need them. So you can use scarfs. You can use something else over your face. It doesn’t have to be a mask, but it’s not a bad idea, at least for a period of time. I mean, eventually you’re not going to want to do that. You’re not going to have to do that. This is going to be gone. It’ll be gone, hopefully gone for a long time....I'm not criticizing the repetition. I like it. You get the message, and you're certain he meant to say it. Notice that he's not really recommending a scarf: You can use a scarf... if it makes you feel better. It still seems as though he's refraining from saying we need one because he doesn't want us competing with the people who really need them. And I also get the sense that he hates the idea of a masked public. This is going to be gone. It’ll be gone, hopefully gone for a long time....
You can get a mask, but you can also do … I mean most people have scarves and scarves are very good and they can use a scarf and where are we talking about a limited period of time. And it says in the recommendations you can use … You can substitute a scarf for a mask. So if people feel that … And I think some people disagree with the mask for various reasons and some people don’t. But you can wear a scarf, you can do the masks if it makes you feel better. We have no objection to it and some people recommend it.
But meanwhile, you can use a scarf. I get the feeling that he's saying you can use a scarf because he thinks we all have silky, beautiful scarves, and wearing scarves might be uplifting and optimistic, and the people in the street in their scarves might still look like America and not like some phobic closed society that isn't us at all.
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91 comments:
They are for the sick gal
not the healthy guy
“I thought,” he said, “that if the world was going to end we were meant to lie down or put a paper bag over our head or something.”
“If you like, yes,” said Ford.
“That’s what they told us in the army,” said the man, and his eyes began the long trek back down to his whisky.
“Will that help?” asked the barman.
“No,” said Ford and gave him a friendly smile.”
- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
A burka is the social choice. Either sex, because who will know.
Best material is such that one can disinfect it every day. Detergent resistant, high temperature resistant (high temp wash or ironing). So cotton. Scarfs not so much, since made from more delicate fabrics. The virus will just pile on it.
I just scarf up news like this.
" Scarfs not so much, since made from more delicate fabrics."
Not all scarves are silk, but silk is in fact very strong.
I don't think I'd was my very best, most expensive scarf, but many people have a bunch of scarves that aren't important possessions, and these can be washed, even if they are silk.
What kind of masks are they recommending for our eyes? A welder's helmet seems a bit heavy.
My wife made several -- a couple of dozen? -- masks over the last couple of days. She was participating in a local community project to produce masks that local hospitals can give to those visiting patients. Each mask took about 15-20 minutes to make.
Would they get a N95 rating if tested? I don't know. The fabric and design were provided by someone at the hospital. (They got the fabric from one of the local sewing centers, which cut the fabric into the specified-sized rectangles.)
Clayton Hennesey,
I don't know what they are recommending specifically for this, but lab glasses with side shields don't weigh much at all. The safety manuals I came across for BSL-3 labs at Berkeley and Yale didn't specify eye pro beyond safety glasses or face shield.
I'm not using a scarf, not the look I'm going for or comfortable with. Instead I'll use my "half-face elastomeric air-purifying respirator" which I have handy because I use it when working with wood. Hopefully wearing it won't frighten people. I'm told my breathing sounds like Darth Vader when I have it on.
I bought a polyester microfiber tube-mask off Amazon from a company called Electrik Unicorn. Tried wearing it to work the other day but found that it fogged my glasses up, so I repurposed it into a headband and channeled my inner Axl Rose. I will take it with me when I go out shopping, though.
A burka is the social choice.
I was thinking a pillow case with eye holes; it was a popular style in D.C. not too long ago.
While my microfiber tube-mask is not a medical-grade item, something is better than nothing. It still doesn't give you carte blanche to violate the six-foot distance guidelines, though.
The image I've now had in my head for several days is of some members of our wonderful Sikh community who wore American flag turbans after 9/11. I'd love to see millions of American flag masks!
There are two differences between medical personnel and the general population that are relevant to the mask situation, although no one seems to want to talk about them.
1) - Exposure - medical personnel in a hospital full of CV patients are continuously exposed to the virus. The general population (presumably) is only exposed occasionally, if at all. As such, medical personnel must have high quality protection or they will catch the virus. Something that is 50% effective in that situation is essentially useless. For the general population, who may only actually be exposed a few minutes a day, that actually buys you quite a bit (particularly from a population perspective in terms of delaying the spread).
2) - Purpose - medical personnel use masks to protect themselves. From a public health perspective, the primary purpose of masks in the general population is for the infected to wear them to contain the virus and keep it from the environment. That is a very different requirement (and one I suspect would not need the same level of filtration, given that there is some degree of droplet breakup after the cough/sneeze in the air). This is very much the motivation for the more common Asian (Japanese in particular I think) practice of mask wearing - that is the sick or recently recovered wear them to protect others from the normal flu/colds.
Public figures probably aren't talking about this because it complicates the message and likely confuses a lot of people. Americans on the whole also tend to view health issues as personal, no social, and are generally going to view actions in terms of risks to themselves, not others (the anti-vaxers being an example in a different context).
Red MAGA face-masks.
Would Antifa be able to keep social distancing?
I am Laslo.
phwest, 6:33:
"Something that is 50% effective in that situation [faced by medical personnel] is essentially useless. For the general population, who may only actually be exposed a few minutes a day, that actually buys you quite a bit."
Good points, and this is why it isn't actually self-contradictory on its face to say, roughly, You all don't need them, but medical professionals do. (A lot of people are yelling Gotcha: Hey, if the masks don't do us any good, why do the medical providers need them? He it away!)
You point out quite correctly that the subtleties complicate the message and confuse a lot of people. Still, I think the Surgeon General, among others, cost himself a lot of credibility on this issue - credibility he's going to miss down the road. Much better if everyone involved had said, "We don't have enough masks to go around. Why we don't is something we can and should discuss. But until we do, we have to give priority to medical providers." And then explained it as well you have here.
That's what frustrates me - and I don't want to single out Dr. Adams, he's representative of a broader phenomenon. We have people whose entire job is to communicate these things to laymen. Some do it well. (I think Drs. Fauci and Birx have been excellent - not perfect, but excellent.) Others fall well below the standard of, Obviously knowledgeable blog commenter whose name and experience I don't actually know.
The whole mask or no mask issue illustrates the limits of our trust in this Task Force. They will NOT recommend mask wearing, using the weaselly excuse that “there’s no indication it stops the spread” of the virus, but that is exactly shy healthcare pros wear them, as do first responders, and all those Asians too. We all KNOW what they are really saying is they want to horde the available masks for THEM, for the medical and FR community most at risk right NOW. And later? When masks are plentiful will they “reassess” personal use as they hint they are doing now? Of course.
Logically, let’s extend the example to a point where EVERYONE in public and private are wearing a mask, ANY mask or bandana or chador or even misused thongs. Assume universal mouth and nose covering AND social distancing. How would the virus spread if we all masked up?
I'm in Tokyo waiting this out. I wear a surgical mask everytime I step outside the door to my apartment, even just to drop off trash. I have only a limited supply (about 20 left), so I reuse them, even though that reduces their effectiveness at protecting me. It's not for me individually, after all but part of being a good citizen (or rather, guest) in these times: if everyone wears a mask, the chances of unknowingly infecting someone else go down.
The PM announced today that the government will be providing two reusable (?) cloth masks to every address in Japan. Not sure that will include me, but we'll see I guess. It came in for a bit of mockery, since it seems inadequate in light of the jump in cases in Tokyo (added 66 cases today, 78 yesterday) but the mask shortage is real here.
Ultimately, if I just want to protect myself I have a reusable half mask with detachable filters and replacements. Like an N95, but better. Maybe if I have to board a train. Probably if I have to return to the US. But not here, not yet.
I'm interested in the NYT usage here...
Contrary to what American officials told us, many studies show that widespread mask-wearing might be a very effective complement to hand-washing, social-distancing and other measures to mitigate the pandemic.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the "experts" who Trump is supposed to be listening to telling us the same thing?
At the NYT, are they "experts" when needed to show Trump is wrong, and then alternatively "American officials" when needed to show Trump is wrong?
Balfegor: At least in Tokyo most everyone wears masks. I wore a simple dust mask to Walmart yesterday and there were probably only two or three others wearing them.
I sewed a pretty printed cotton mask the other day but it doesn't really fit very well.
They are for the sick gal
not the healthy guy.
Right. That's why the COVID-19 death rate for males is twice the rate of females.
Sweden's official recommendations don't mention masks, so I guess their manspreading policy seems to be working:
"Many public transport operators in Sweden have already introduced measures to limit social contact, including signage asking commuters to spread out inside vehicles."
Fun fact: Krugman/NYT swiped that graph from Financial Times and removed the FT logo from it.
Re: mockturtle:
I was in Tokyo the first week of March, returned to the US and saw the situation was out of control and came back here 10 days later. Unfortunately, my impression is that while at the start of March, masks were almost universal, like 95%, by the time I returned, mask use was way down, like 70% or lower some places. I was nervous then that people had become so much more lax, and sure enough, a week later the rate of infections has increased.
I think that's because there is a major shortage of masks. Simply impossible to obtain in stores unless you're lucky and get there right after they restock.
Since the recent increase, I think mask wearing is back up, but hard to tell because I have only left my flat a couple times since Friday.
Wear a masky-wask like this one and most people will be glad to stay more than 6' away from you.
At the end of this we're going to learn that while top-quality face masks are essential tools for health-care personnel working close to the faces of those sick with coronavirus and other respiratory pathogens, any mask of any kind works well enough for ordinary three-feet-away human activities like shopping and walking down the street -- including homemade masks and even a t-shirt wrapped around your face.
The reason (as those in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea know), is that any mask helps not only to prevent receiving the virus but also to prevent transmitting it if you're carrying it without symptoms. It's not a perfect solution, but perfect enough to prevent transmission at the levels that create a pandemic.
It's going to be a real bummer when we find out we could have avoided crashing our economy and killing tens of thousands of people by following this simple advice.
There are two differences between medical personnel and the general population that are relevant to the mask situation, although no one seems to want to talk about them.
Exactly this -- I posted my comment before reading yours.
There are mask designs out there that let you insert a liner into the mask with the liner being cut out from a HEPA (or similar) vacuum cleaner bag. Wash the mask and replace the liner as needed and you're practically a prepper.
When he said "scarf" I took it to mean something more along the lines of a bandanna.
I have a couple shamaghs. Maybe I'll start wearing one. Probably shouldn't pair it with vest though.
A) it's really hard to see, how wearing a scarf could be WORSE than NOT wearing one
B) isn't the scarf/mask more for
...i. protecting OTHER people from YOUR fluids?
...ii to keep YOU from touching your face
C) what the? I'm supposed to Believe that y'all DON'T have Red Bucky Badger scarfs?
..............WHAT THE HELL? You you people have NO school spirit ?
D) GO CYCLONES!!!!!!!! GO CARDINAL AND GOLD!!!!!! GO STATE! GO STATE! WIN!!
There are mask designs out there that let you insert a liner into the mask with the liner being cut out from a HEPA (or similar) vacuum cleaner bag.
There's one design that uses a Stayfree panty liner, which has adhesive to keep it in place.
He is saying, gently, save the masks for healthcare workers.
He is right to say that.
Gilbar
If you do not handle the scarf correctly it could be a surface on which the virus lives and is transported. If you wear a scarf do not touch the working part of it, and wash it thoroughly every time you use it.
On his weekly podcast, Bret Weinstein wears a bandana around his neck, that he can easily pull up over his mouth and nose when he wants to. Says he tested it with a camera and it blocked 99.9% of photons, so it is probably better than nothing when it comes to much larger aerosol droplets containing viruses.
One of the issues is you don't want to use woven material for the mask filter. Of course if that's all you've got it's better than nothing which is of course a very high standard.
“ One of the issues is you don't want to use woven material for the mask filter. ”
Are you saying the oft-mentioned t-shirts are good because it’s knitted material?
Howard said: One of the issues is you don't want to use woven material for the mask filter. Of course if that's all you've got it's better than nothing which is of course a very high standard
So, non-woven materials ... I thought about paper (to stiff, almost impermeable) and then ... AHAH! Coffee filters. Hence:
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/web-extra-how-to-make-a-homemade-face-mask/
The key is this: He doesn't want to recommend masks because he doesn't want competition. He doesn't want all these crazy people, the type that ran out and bought up all the TP and bottled water, to start hoarding masks and buying them by the box.
So, he's giving them the scarf. Protect everyone with a scarf. And look stylish. Personally, I've love to wear a Western handkerchief and look like an old western cowboy robbing the bank.
As stated above, the Mask/scarf protects OTHER people, not you.
People will hoard scarves and handkerchiefs next.
The fabric should be 100% cotton, preferably white. It’ll need to be laundered after wearing out in public with hot water, detergent and bleach. Any colorful pattern on the fabric will end up with it becoming faded. When the fabric becomes weakened as it will after a certain number of washings, it should be discarded. The ear loops should be 1/4 inch elastic, or you can make ties, which is a pain in the ass.
Fusible (non-woven) interfacing was used in the JoAnne's Fabrics video I saw posted.
I still have a couple of simple masks around from last flu season. They were all over the place at the cancer center and I frequently grabbed one when everyone else was wearing them -- to be polite. I don't remember seeing the boxes two weeks ago, when I was there, and few were wearing masks. Of course many canceled appointments so social distancing wasn't hard.
I've about 3 incredibly long and wide scarves I think are probably hajabs that I have been practicing wrapping around my face. Look funny with swim goggles.
I made a face mask to wear to the grocery store, gas station, and while out hiking or walking using a scarf, hair ties, and the HEPA filter from a vacuum cleaner bag.
I did use a stylish scarf. One I bought from Liberty of London while on vacation there. It's not how I thought I'd be wearing it when I bought it, but I'm wearing it.
I made one for He-Man using a bandanna.
Better get your vacuum cleaner bags restocked before there's a mad rush for those and you can't find any!
Some nurses are wearing these over their n95 masks to prolong the use of their n95. They discard the fabric mask into a biohazard receptacle and then the fabric masks are laundered safely to be reused by the hospital. I’ve made some masks with two layers and some with three. The two layer masks are better for healthcare workers to wear over their n95 masks. The three layer would be better for everyday people who want to wear a mask to go out in public with.
"... some phobic closed society that isn't us at all."
More's the pity.
“I made a face mask to wear to the grocery store, gas station, and while out hiking or walking using a scarf, hair ties, and the HEPA filter from a vacuum cleaner bag.”
I’ve read that some HEPA filters use fiberglass in them, so be careful. One way to know if your HEPA filter has fiberglass is to burn it and if it doesn’t burn down to ashes it may have fiberglass in it.
“But meanwhile, you can use a scarf. I get the feeling that he's saying you can use a scarf because he thinks we all have silky, beautiful scarves”.
You sure are into reading Trump’s mind these days.
My mind reading is he was thinking that most people have scarves that they wear when it gets cold outside. He’s a New Yorker after all and most people there wear scarves that aren’t “silky, beautiful scarves” but more utilitarian scarves they got at TJMaxx or from some street vendor.
You are incapable of thinking like Trump. You are way too liberal and really not in touch with the common man.
And yes, I do think Trump thinks more like a common man than someone who was a billionaire when he came into office.
Here’s why we have to make our own masks:
“According to the CDC’s own data, it takes an average of 95 days to approve new certifications for face mask suppliers.”
I lived among federal bureaucrats for over forty years. I deal with them for most of my career. Trump’s successes in getting the federal bureaucrats to get off the dime and treat this crisis as the crisis it is, it’s just totally remarkable. Layering the bureaucrats’ Trump hatred (he’s making them do work!) on top of their normal tendency to demand ever increasing piles of red tape and paperwork, and it becomes clear that our bureaucracy Is not equipped to cope with challenges. Except, of course, when the challenge is to their funding and to the size of their paper-pushing staff.
Oven mitts would be effective and humorous.
Ken B said...
If you do not handle the scarf correctly it could be a surface on which the virus lives and is transported. If you wear a scarf do not touch the working part of it, and wash it thoroughly every time you use it
Hmmm what part of Bi did you NOT understand?
Unknown said...
They are for the sick gal
not the healthy guy
--
Surgeon General says that during various appearances.
If you read feeds by healthcare workers, they seem to be concerned about being vulnerable w/o.
Perhaps it's a sliding scale based on "viral load". Today I'm hearing some voice concern that masks might give false sense of security, leading to ignoring the 6ft rule etc.
So..
I still recommend Storm Trooper masks.
Here’s a tip to keep the elastic ear bands from irritating your ear if too tight or keeping the mask on your head if too loose: Take a large paper clip and slip the elastic ear bands into the paper clip at the back of your head. It keeps the mask securely on.
Also if you want to have your mask for snugly over the bridge of your nose, sew a coated paper clip that has been opened, into a channel of your mask at the where the bridge of your nose would be. Then when you wear your mask, you can bend the paperclip that’s inside the channel to fit snugly against your nose. If you wrap the ends of the paper clip in a fabric tape or painters tape it will be more comfortable and not poke through the material.
How to add a nose clamp to your face mask
“But meanwhile, you can use a scarf. I get the feeling that he's saying you can use a scarf because he thinks we all have silky, beautiful scarves”.
You sure are into reading Trump’s mind these days.
Some people have seized on the idea that feelings are more important than thoughts.
My western Fishing guides have suggested that (if we Want to, to) we could/should wear our buffs, which would be better than nothing
Again; this would be to protect OTHERS, not us
Plus, they look COOL AS HELL, and let people know that you are actually a fly fisher
{you're probably wondering WHY western fly fishers wear these? visualize being:
on a river
ALL DAY
EVERY DAY
At an altitude of about 7,000 ft; which means LOTS of UV rays
}
Thanks Inga. You have been a real Mensch through this situation. You just gave me an idea I have a number of those nose pinchers that I use for swimming that would work to hold a mask in place over the nose. Also you could probably fashion something like that out of bailing wire if you happen to have that laying around the house
On his weekly podcast, Bret Weinstein wears a bandana around his neck, that he can easily pull up over his mouth and nose when he wants to.
Bazooka Joe's Gang® member Mort had a similar idea back in the 50s.
Isn't knitting a form of weaving? The idea is you don't want to have a regular pattern of material in a crosshatch because the particulates can travel through the gaps. Non woven materials are a complex three-dimensional matrix that will have the same porosity but randomize location of the pores creates the blockage
“You just gave me an idea I have a number of those nose pinchers that I use for swimming that would work to hold a mask in place over the nose. Also you could probably fashion something like that out of bailing wire if you happen to have that laying around the house.”
Thanks Howard. Good ideas! It would be great to brainstorm on what would work best for the boning in the nose area. Maybe some others here have some good ideas too. It would have to be fairly flexible but something that wouldn’t break after a certain numbers of pinching.
“Isn't knitting a form of weaving? The idea is you don't want to have a regular pattern of material in a crosshatch because the particulates can travel through the gaps. Non woven materials are a complex three-dimensional matrix that will have the same porosity but randomize location of the pores creates the blockage.”
I think the tightly woven material would be best for the outside layer and the layer next to your face. Maybe a knit t shirt material would be good for the innermost layer, giving you a third layer of protection but a more porous one for ease of breathing.
I like the way you're thinking Inga.
I think heavy gauge of copper wire might do the trick, Inga. but the cheap nose pinchers I use for swimming are made out of a heavier gauge than bailing wire so if you were to use the baling wire I would double or triple it over. it doesn't need to be incorporated into the cloth that can be used on the outside
ARM, while you're busy running down Trump for "botching the response", consider this:
https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/04/01/birx-initial-western-covid-19-response-handicapped-missing-significant-amount-data-china/
H/T Instapundit.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Sports-Outdoors-Swimming-Nose-Clips/zgbs/sporting-goods/3418821
@Inga, thank you I hadn't read that or checked, but did after reading your comment. It's all good here.
The swim goggle nose pincher thing is a good idea. I read the wire in hanging folders would work well for that too. I haven't tried it though.
He is saying, gently, save the masks for healthcare workers.
He is right to say that.
I agree. The chances of someone being exposed during a 45 minute grocery store trip with 6 foot distancing does not justify taking a quality mask off the market that needs to be used by a health care provider or first responder.
JoAnn fabrics is giving customers free supplies to make masks for hospitals
Who was that masked man?
I use the same bandana I use to Rob the railroad.
A local Engineering and design firm, Engiworks, came up with an interesting design for a face shield. Instead of a large, complex, headband they 3d printed 3 clips that clip onto a police hat visor and clip a piece of plastic.
https://www.elvocero.com/actualidad/dise-an-equipo-de-seguridad-especial-para-polic-as-de/article_1f30836a-7205-11ea-bc81-df1cc3dfd6fe.html
I praised Felix and his team for a great innovation and thought that he should make one that works with a ball cap.
A few minutes later, I realized that I shouldn't be asking someone else, I should be doing it myself. 30 minutes on SketchUp and 15 minutes of printing later I had a rough draft of a prototype. Fixed a few things and now I have one that works.
With just 2 clips it seems a bit unstable so I designed a center clip and am printing it as I type.
The plastic is a heavy gauge report cover available at OfficeMax.
I made some internal pins in the clips to latch into holes on the plastic. They seem to hold almost as well without positively locking into holes on the plastic.
I have a few final touches to put on it and will be uploading STL and SKP files to Thingiverse later today.
Total cost, filament and sheet, probably less than 75 cents.
https://bit.ly/3bJ3obK
John Henry
Someone who made masks for me to send to my son in NYC used bread twist ties to made the nose bridge flexible. She layered 3-4 together and made a pocket so he could take them out when he washed the masks.
Also, she had me wash the fabric in hot water and dry it at the hottest setting so all fabric shrinkage would be gone before she sewed them.
Inga, I think your ideas are great especially the info about the filter to test if they have fiberglass in them.
Thank you.
“Someone who made masks for me to send to my son in NYC used bread twist ties to made the nose bridge flexible. She layered 3-4 together and made a pocket so he could take them out when he washed the masks.”
Great idea using the bread twist ties with a pocket to insert and take them out for laundering! I’m going to make some some pockets in the ones I’ve already made and for the new ones I’ll sew a little pocket in to it. Now I wish I would’ve saved more of those twist ties instead of throwing them away.
wore a red bandana to the super market today, looked like Jesse James
no one seemed to care
kept me reminded not to touch my face
As many have stated above, the main purpose of mask wearing is to prevent community spread from coughing and sneezing, so if someone has the virus and doesn't know it, they will not transmit it to others. If everyone was doing this it would be very beneficial, since the incubation period can be several days.
Mask wearing also keeps you from touching your face. At this point in Kansas everyone still acts like I am some kind of freak wearing a mask. It's not really for my benefit, it is for the whole community. But everyone stays away from me anyway!
Of course the medical quality, N95 masks should be saved for health care workers.
I can get my hands on hundreds of masks in minutes, but I'm not wearing them because I'm a Blitz spirit kind of guy. Same reason I'm not a prepper. I'm not going to eat while my neighbor starves. Must be my inner Commie.
A barrier works. Call it what you will -- mask, scarf, kerchief, bandana, veil, fence, wall, etc.
I had to use the taxi twice this morning (to go have x-rays taken: good heavens, it was over in five or six minutes; I guess I associate 'x-rays' with being seated in the dentist's chair and having her fingers poking and prodding in my mouth for what seems like half an hour). Two different drivers, same cab company, both of them pleasant enough. The first was fine with me sitting in the front seat (as seems to be the usual arrangement here; if I'd thought about it I suppose I would have asked, given the plague circumstances) and didn't stop talking. She was preoccupied with Eugene's refusal to allow NASCAR-sanctioned racing here... which was an issue in I don't know what year. The second was muffled to within an inch of suffocation with her mask and scarf and had piled all her voluminous quantity of stuff onto the front seat so there was no question where I should sit. She spent the trip pointing out groups of people not maintaining the proper 'social distance' (the utility workers repairing the sewer drains, e.g., and two pairs of people meeting and passing each other) and mentioned twice that state-required masking had better happen sooner than later.
100% cotton and cotton blend t-shirt material is the best. While a HEPA vacuum cleaner bag is almost as good as a surgical mask, it is hard to breath through.
See https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/
A handkerchief and 2 rubber bands. Check out YouTube on how to make one without sewing.
Until just the last week, I did not wear a face mask, as medical professionals have said masks will not protect one from becoming infected with an airborne virus or bacterium. They are primarily useful to prevent sick people from passing the virus or bacteria through their breath to others.
I changed my mind recently and have been wearing a mask when going out. I was buying some groceries last week, and the cashier, herself masked, a woman with a British accent in her 60s, (meaning, a contemporary to me), asked, "Oh, aren't you wearing your mask?"
I replied, feebly, "Oh, I guess I need to try to fine one somewhere."
It struck me that, perhaps, she was uneasy engaging with unmasked persons, for fear of the pathogens we could be spreading. I realized that I should wear a mask out of consideration of the fears of others, not to protect myself from them.
Of course, in the days since I take adopted a mask for excursions out, the advice has changed, and they think we can, to a degree, be better protected from others if we are wearing masks.
One thing: I cannot wear the mask up over my nose: my nasal exhalation is forced upward and fogs my glasses to the degree I cannot see to walk. I see others with glasses wearing masks over their noses, but I cannot figure out how they avoid the same problem. Or maybe they just live with it. I can't.
Typos, bleagh!!
"The whole mask or no mask issue illustrates the limits of our trust in this Task Force. They will NOT recommend mask wearing, using the weaselly excuse that 'there’s no indication it stops the spread' of the virus, but that is exactly why healthcare pros wear them, as do first responders...."
Not necessarily. Health providers wear face masks for the same reason they wash their hands: to prevent their spreading germs to sick people who could be infected thereby and become very ill. When I was being treated for leukemia over 20 years ago, I spent some weeks in hospital after the chemo caused my white count to drop below safe levels. This made me subject to becoming seriously ill from airborne pathogens that would have been harmless to someone with a functioning immune system. All who entered my hospital room, including friends and family, were required to wear facemasks...to protect ME from THEM.
I have not explored sewing and don't really have any interest in it, so I bought heavy-duty cloth masks online and have worn them the few times I've had to go inside places (a hospital and a store to pay inside for a pickup order.) I was amazed to see that I was the only one in the hospital wearing a mask, but that was pretty early on. The trip to the store register was recent, and I saw no other masks. I know that other people in the area are wearing them though because I see them doing it on social media.
One friend's husband wore a mask to his doctor's office and was chastised by the receptionist. "People will think you have it!"
"Good! They'll stay away!"
I have a handful of ten year old N95's if the need arises, but I can only see needing them if someone in the family has to go to a crowded hospital. I live in the middle of town, but we don't have the density and mass transit of a big city, so it's usually pretty easy to stay away from people.
One nice thing about wearing a mask is that you don't need to be embarrassed about wearing a mask because you're wearing a mask.
Cookie,
In local grocery store in a pop 6k town, visit a couple days ago revealed they had erected plexiglass at the manned checkout..approx 4ft wide, extending from conveyor level up to about 10ft. Kinda reminded me of the high crime area convenience stores with clerks behind glass. (You know, without the Indian accent. I'm not joking!)
Law enforcement in larger cities seem to be opting for shields..with advantage of covering eyes. Which may explain ads for goggles in my sidebar at times.
Here in fabulous Las Vegas damn little is open except supermarkets and gas stations, so there's little opportunity to mask up. At the gas station I use the paper towels provided for windshield cleaning to handle the pump. At the supermarket I use a pair of ordinary kitchen gloves, and then do the soapy handwashing routine with the gloves on, then with them off. Maybe I should wash my shoes.
Thanks for the link, Edmund.
One trick that I employ in public is I take a nice deep big breath when someone's 30 feet away and then I hold it as long as possible. Breath-holding also boost your immune system so it's doubly beneficial. I'm actually quite sure it's nothing more than placebo but what the hell
One trick that I employ in public is I take a nice deep big breath when someone's 30 feet away and then I hold it as long as possible. Breath-holding also boost your immune system so it's doubly beneficial. I'm actually quite sure it's nothing more than placebo but what the hell
Best thing is to sneeze every once in awhile. Clears the aisle every time.
an old western cowboy robbing the bank
The cowboys didn't rob banks, but would join well organized militias to round them asses up. Giddyap!
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