This is a little crazy. Is there the supply available for the general public to switch to these masks without hurting hospital supplies? And everyone knows these aren’t really reusable, right? Are we expecting everyone to have a new one every day or are we just conveniently ignoring that fact and doing safety theater?
Decent masks cost money. That’s a burden for someone like me on Social Security, already paying higher scarcity food prices, then delivery fees on top of that. If I have to chose between buying a box of disposable surgical masks and a months worth of fresh fruit and vegetables, guess which I’m going to do? Reality of Social Security benefits and food prices puts me there.
Food banks and public health depts need to be orchestrating no-cost mask distribution to those financially stressed by the pandemic. And yes, they should be funded additionally by the federal gov’t to do that (after noon on the 20th of course. Not worth the trouble before then).
The requirement is not that everyone have a mask: the requirement is that everyone stay at home or outside when they don’t have a mask.
A month’s worth of fruit and veggies??
Uh, ok. New mask every day you go to work, a store, appointment or ride a bus. Yes, not everyone will need a mask every day.
My psychic powers tell me that most people will just wear the same mask until it looks dingy.
Protection – Perfect for use as dust mask in everyday settings, but should not be used in high-risk situations, or where there is a high risk of contact with liquids or infectious materials.
I know Bippity said “surgical masks” but she was responding to me and my concern about requiring N95 masks (well, the European equivalent). They’re more like a buck a piece.
For myself (YMMV) I do not consider my 20-minute trip to the grocery store where I am not in the presence of another person for more than a couple of minutes (and everyone is masked) as “high risk.” If I were working in an ER or hanging out in an indoor space with a lot of people, I would call that high risk. And then I’d probably double up on masks. Trips to get groceries are my only activities outside the house.
Also, that disclaimer on the box functions as a CYA liability statement from the manufacturer.
The law in Austria would require you to buy more expensive masks whether you consider it high risk or not.
Yes, if they are made in the USA and certified as meeting minimal standards as being effective for non-medical use.
$1.75 each was a cheap as Newsweek article found. That would be $52.50 for a box of 30, so a months worth if you throw them away as you are supposed to after one use.
I don’t eat 52 dollars worth of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables a month, that would be a luxury with my budget. I eat more frozen and canned vegetables as they can be less expensive per serving, if chosen wisely. Fresh fruit and fresh vegetables (except perhaps potatoes), are very carefully chosen and purchased to fulfill both nutritional needs and psychic needs because they are expensive, relatively.
$10 a box masks are likely cheaply produced overseas, not very effective and actually just another form of mask theater. Counterfeits made as N95, sure. Actually N95 effectiveness protective of self and others? Not at 30 cents apiece.
Cloth masks aren’t, while cheaper, as good at filtering, as the CDC has found, unless you are buying, guess what? More expensive professionally designed and sourced ones. Again, expensive once shipping is added. Homemade ones are next to impossible to make (by amateurs) that are as good as a K95 or KN95. Sure, you see them, but they too are theater. Feel good, but aren’t doing what we think. Better than nothing? Yes, by 50%, last time I read. At 71, can I rely on 50% protection? No.
so, yes, a month’s worth of masks would be what I spend on on a month’s worth of fresh fruit and vegetables. It is either/or in this day and age of many people’s Social Security benefits. I already don’t have to or cable, a newspaper, lottery tickets, magazine subscriptions, manicures, etc. not a lot left to cut out or back, so yes, I think the federal plan ought to figure out how to subsidize good enough masks and get them in my reach (delivery or local pick up) or expect to somehow supplement adequate other essentials. The infrastructure is there for SNAP, so give every SS beneficiary a $30 a month SNAP benefit. I’ll take $30 out of groceries cash and buy decent masks and use the SNAP card to place those fruits and fresh vegetables back into my cart. No need to re-invent the wheel.
Here’s the Newsweek article re: non-medical mask costs
I am giving the government the benefit of doubt that they did not decide upon a blanket FFP2 mask mandate without first checking with suppliers and retailers that there would be a sufficient supply for both medical staff and the general public. After all, back when face coverings were first made mandatory here back in March, the government arranged for supermarket chains to supply (non-FFP2) masks free of charge for the first few weeks, and this plan went off perfectly smoothly, with no shortages. In fact, many supermarkets continued to offer free masks for several months.
That said, as of this morning (only hours after the FFP2 announcement), all stores seem to be sold out of FFP2 masks. I’m hoping that this is just a temporary blip and that the masks will be available in sufficient quantities before the new restrictions come into force next Monday. Needless to say, I will be monitoring the situation.
I know that they’re single-use, and I think this fact has also been mentioned in the press conferences and media coverage. So yeah, if you use public transit or go shopping every day, you’ll have to reckon on spending an extra €1 per day from now on.
Generally speaking, yes, though as I mentioned, there are going to be exceptions for people who can’t afford them. I haven’t looked into the details but presumably this would cover people who are receiving social assistance due to sickness, disability, or unemployment.
But those masks were much cheaper and not generally what the hospitals use. I’ll be curious for your reports next week.
“Surgical” mask are generally what hospitals use. Higher grade masks are used in hospitals for barrier nursing. Grammatically, probably what you meant was “generally what the hospitals are using”, (but I’m not in contact with hospitals handling high COVID case loads).
I’ve no reason to assume that hospitals won’t get first dibs on PPE, ahead of supermarkets. Most of the world is at least that well organized.
Well, I would assume hospitals get priority too. But we’re talking about a law requiring it for everyone.
I’m near the ocean by Santa Cruz and swung by the beach on Saturday, usually sparsely attended in winter. It was an unseasonably warm day (70F) and holy hell! It was like 4th of July or something, thousands of people - in January! I left, there’s no way I’m in that crowd. But chrissakes, we’re really not trying hard to get a handle on this. 
96,009,891 total cases
2,049,348 dead
68,630,134 recovered
In the US:
24,626,376 total cases
408,620 dead
14,551,685 recovered
Yesterday’s numbers for comparison:
Those are non-USA-made masks in your Newsweek article - possibly all of them. Just because the company selling them is located in the US doesn’t mean they’re manufactured here.