# Okay, I'm done with 'expert advice' and done asking. I'm telling you: wear a mother fucking mask! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973 "2020-04-03T16:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/1 "2020-04-03T16:21:18Z")
Seriously, enough of this shit. Enough ‘debating’. It’s common sense. If we’re going to advise people to “cover their mouths” when they cough, it’s pretty god damn obvious that you should probably wear a mask when outside, especially if you have symptoms. But even if you don’t, just wear a mask. End of story. > **[Detroit bus driver dies of coronavirus after posting video about passenger...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/03/detroit-bus-driver-dies-coronavirus-video-passenger-coughing)** > > Jason Hargrove died less than two weeks after expressing concern about passenger coughing without covering her mouth ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/2 "2020-04-03T16:47:17Z")
I’m not going to wear a mask. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/3 "2020-04-03T16:49:46Z")
Send me a mask and I’ll wear it. But in a world with a finite number of masks, I don’t feel like fighting for one and perhaps depriving the people who need them most of having one. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/4 "2020-04-03T17:07:49Z")
And where would I find one of these masks? I’m in SoCal. Easier to find TP than those. Scarf it is. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/5 "2020-04-03T17:11:33Z")
From [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/coronavirus-pandemic-airborne-go-outside-masks/609235/): > [@](#): > > The debate is somewhat moot right now, because there simply aren’t enough masks for medical professionals, let alone everyone else. No matter their opinions on widespread mask-wearing, everyone I spoke with for this article agreed that health-care workers should get dibs on any existing medical masks. This might well be why public-health officials have been so loath to recommend mask-wearing more broadly: Hoarders have already begun to exhaust the dwindling supplies. Even so, “policy shouldn’t be made to accommodate a lack of the supply,” [Bourouiba](https://lbourouiba.mit.edu/people) said. “It should create the impetus to generate that supply.” > > In the meantime, citizens (and, unfortunately, many health-care workers) will have to make do with MacGyvering their own alternatives. A few studies suggest that homemade cloth masks are less effective than proper medical ones, but are still better than nothing. In one experiment, a surgical mask filtered 89 percent of viral particles from the air, a tea towel blocked 72 percent, and a cotton T-shirt blocked 50 percent.\* In general, thicker materials are better than thinner ones, Marr said, and a tight fit across the face is important. If people use makeshift masks, they should thoroughly wash them afterward. And most of all, they should remember that homemade masks are not fully protective. They’re a last-ditch measure to be used in situations when social distancing isn’t possible. “It’s not like ‘I’m wearing [a mask] and now I can talk to everyone,’” Bourouiba said. > > The mask debate is so intense because both the stakes and the uncertainty levels are so high. “We’re trying to build the plane while we’re flying it,” [Hanage](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/william-hanage/) said. “We’re having to make decisions with quite massive consequences in the absence of secure data. It’s a nightmare for your average cautious public-health professional.” ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/6 "2020-04-03T17:20:24Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m not going to wear a mask. [I’m warning you, for the last time…](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSuuMv2WgviFMKwC5xZWIstAzsu8i2bVnTc74DDdC9LpCAx4BvL&usqp=CAU) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/7 "2020-04-03T17:43:45Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Seriously, enough of this shit. Enough ‘debating’. It’s common sense. If we’re going to advise people to “cover their mouths” when they cough, it’s pretty god damn obvious that you should probably wear a mask when outside, especially if you have symptoms. But even if you don’t, just wear a mask. End of story. [Okay.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s44WzmfU5hY/TL738zVMFCI/AAAAAAAAADg/OnLO1R8lgr0/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-10-13+at+2.40.23+PM.png) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Jumpbass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jumpbass/32/147_2.png) [@Jumpbass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumpbass)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/8 "2020-04-03T17:46:04Z")
^ AAAAH! Don’t DO that! ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/9 "2020-04-03T18:15:03Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Seriously, enough of this shit. Enough ‘debating’. It’s common sense. If we’re going to advise people to “cover their mouths” when they cough, it’s pretty god damn obvious that you should probably wear a mask when outside, especially if you have symptoms. But even if you don’t, just wear a mask. End of story. > > [Detroit bus driver dies of coronavirus after posting video about passenger coughing | Detroit | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/03/detroit-bus-driver-dies-coronavirus-video-passenger-coughing) People have been advised to cover their mouths when coughing for years. It’s nothing new. Heck–I learned that when I was five years old. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/10 "2020-04-03T18:17:11Z")
I go out once a day for a walk and sometimes an errand. I maintain as much distance as possible. If there were enough masks that everyone had a supply suitable to their needs, I’d cheerfully wear one. But there isn’t and I’d rather the limited stockpile go to the people who need them a lot more than me, like nurses and grocery clerks. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/11 "2020-04-03T18:27:50Z")
asahi wants to make sure his investments in masks pays off. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/12 "2020-04-03T18:30:54Z")
Because of my lung disease I have a box of N95 masks in the garage for gardening etc. They came in very handy during the bushfires when smoke blanketed my city and now this. You can bet I’m wearing one to get my flu shot on Monday and if I need to go to the shops but I see so many people wearing cloth masks when driving around in cars alone or walking about keeping distance from others, that seems to me to be a waste of masks and it is likely those wearing them for long periods will adjust them mooting the point. Wear them when you need to, don’t touch them with germy fingers and don’t assume it is ok to get nearer other folks just because you have one on. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/13 "2020-04-03T18:32:28Z")
Being that I am on a Facebook group devoted to sewing masks at home and delivering them to local hospitals, nursing homes, fire stations, etc., I can tell you a few basic things. 1. Simple cotton masks are what is being recommended to wear in public. They are NOT medical quality masks in any way at all. Hospitals are requesting them mainly to keep their criminally-limited supplies of medical quality masks cleaner as they must re-use them despite their disposable design. 2. General public type masks are nothing more than a few layer of tightly woven cotton (like bedsheets) sewn together and held on with elastic tape or strings or ribbons tied behind the head or hooked over the ears. There is nothing to stop anyone from making their own if you own a sheet, a pair of scissors, and a needle and thread. There is word that those blue non-woven shop cloths make excellent mask material. There are literally hundreds of mask making tutorials and patterns online right now – they all work. More sophisticated designs have a wire or flexible piece of metal shaped over the nose for a better fit, etc. But they all work okay if they cover your nose and mouth and remind you to stop touching your face. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/14 "2020-04-03T18:44:12Z")
> [@Jumpbass](#): > > ^ AAAAH! Don’t DO that! [“Utah, get me two!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsas7JI4quw) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/15 "2020-04-03T18:45:09Z")
What is going to happen if I wear a mask when I walk into a bank? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/16 "2020-04-03T18:48:22Z")
> [@Jumpbass](#): > > ^ AAAAH! Don’t DO that! Perhaps the OP would prefer [this mask](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61fO3QK9SPL._AC_UX522_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/17 "2020-04-03T18:52:18Z")
I havn’t been out of the house til today. I wore a mask. At the Doctors office they have me 2 more of a different kind and told me wear them if I get out. I’m not planning on going in a store or anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/18 "2020-04-03T18:53:35Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > What is going to happen if I wear a mask when I walk into a bank? You’re going to get really fast service? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/19 "2020-04-03T19:04:09Z")
> [@](#): > > a surgical mask filtered 89 percent of viral particles from the air, a tea towel blocked 72 percent, and a cotton T-shirt blocked 50 percent. Considering that I did chemo and radiation, and take a horrible hormone reuptake blocker, for a much smaller reduction in my risk of cancer recurrence, I’d be thrilled to implement additional ways to lower my COVID-19 risk. Today we tried vacuuming while wearing the [no-sew folded mask design](https://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie). I didn’t sneeze or cough afterward, which even in and of itself is something. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/20 "2020-04-03T19:08:52Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > What is going to happen if I wear a mask when I walk into a bank? Nothing. Everyone is wearing them. Our banks have all closed their walk-in services and only outside ATMs and drive up windows are open anyway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973.md?page=2)