# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/41 "2020-04-04T00:42:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Trump says he won’t wear one. So there’s hope. He’s also much smarter than any of his experts, and this is from the Orange Peril himself, so it must be true. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/42 "2020-04-04T01:10:08Z")
IIRC, the local medical officials have stated: if you wish to wear a mask, it should be a homemade one, or store bought – save medical-grade ones for those who need them. (AKA, medical workers or those who are vulnerable) In other words, no, you don’t need to fucking wear a mask yet – save them for those who need them most, you selfish jackass. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/43 "2020-04-04T01:15:10Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > There are several suggestions for making them even if you don’t sew or know anyone who does. If that’s too much work, wear your damn underwear over your head. At least it will ensure that other people keep their distance. Brilliant! ---
**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 4, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/44 "2020-04-04T01:35:15Z")
What if I just put a pillow case over my head? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/45 "2020-04-04T01:56:16Z")
I’m thinking my Survivor buffs will serve quite nicely. ---
**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 4, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/46 "2020-04-04T02:01:12Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > IIRC, the local medical officials have stated: if you wish to wear a mask, it should be a homemade one, or store bought – save medical-grade ones for those who need them. (AKA, medical workers or those who are vulnerable) > > In other words, no, you don’t need to fucking wear a mask yet – save them for those who need them most, you selfish jackass. I agree that running out and buying N-95s and surgical masks is unnecessary, but dust masks, bandanas, homemade masks should be worn all the time. Collectively, they slow transmission. This is just common sense. ---
**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 4, 2020, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/47 "2020-04-04T02:02:25Z")
> [@SuperAbe](#): > > So…we’re just going to ditch the ‘Fighting Ignorance’ thing and go with the “IT’S OBVIOUS!!!” angle now? 🤨 In this case, it’s obvious and fighting ignorance. Let’s be smart like Fredo. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/48 "2020-04-04T02:25:49Z")
Wearing that trump mask might scare the virus away. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/49 "2020-04-04T03:07:11Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > IIRC, the local medical officials have stated: if you wish to wear a mask, it should be a homemade one, or store bought – save medical-grade ones for those who need them. (AKA, medical workers or those who are vulnerable) > > In other words, no, you don’t need to fucking wear a mask yet – save them for those who need them most, you selfish jackass. Yeah, I’m just going to wear a full face racing helmet and wipe it with a bleach wipe after each outing. At least it’ll protect me if I fall and bump my head. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/50 "2020-04-04T03:20:13Z")
Now that the CDC has recommended everyone wear a mask, I’m planning to wear my Richard Nixon mask for public appearances. It’ll provide minimal “protection” like improvised articles of clothing and also should keep people the hell away from me - at least those old enough to remember Tricky Dicky. \*we also have a mask left over from a trip to New Orleans that resembles the ones worn by old-time plague doctors. That might be just a bit much. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/51 "2020-04-04T05:11:08Z")
[Actual photo](https://images.app.goo.gl/YhSV3jgjgeNamoG48) of me leaving the store the other night in my mask. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/52 "2020-04-04T09:01:51Z")
So, in light of this new information, would it be useful to use Buff neck wear ([link](http://www.buffwear.com/adult-neckwear)) when I go to the store, especially if I were to add a piece of dish towel? No sewing needed, and I already have a number them. And dish towels, for that matter. Since we’re close to Austria, many people expect that they will start issuing masks in the grocery stores as they do in Austria. So maybe they will have masks the next time I go. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/53 "2020-04-04T09:24:32Z")
I have worked in healthcare. Masks protect other people from you, not the other way around. If I thought I had something other people needed protecting from, I would not leave the house. In fact, I probably would not leave the room, and DH would be sleeping on the couch, the way I did when he had penicillin-resistant strep. The problem with people wearing masks outside of healthcare settings is that they don’t know things, like how often to change them, and wear the same mask for too long. Your moist breath over and over on the mask can make it a breeding ground for bacteria, and you can end up with a bad sinus or bronchial infection, that in turn can make you more vulnerable to Covid-19, AND can put you at higher risk for developing a complication like pneumonia if you do get it. Healthcare workers are constantly changing masks, which is why they need so many. Lay people wearing the same mask all day long are not doing themselves a favor. Do what you want, OP, but just because you use profanity, do not expect me to take your advice over three physicians, one PhD-doctor in virology, a nurse practitioner/GP, the training I had to become a HHA, the yearly training I get to maintain CPR and 1st aid certification, and everything I’ve ever read, by people in the healthcare field. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/54 "2020-04-05T08:00:27Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Masks protect other people from you, not the other way around. It seems to me that this is a feature, not a problem, as long as everyone in the room is wearing a mask. My mom & I both have COPD. I’m grateful for everyone who tries to protect me from their lung germs, even if it’s not perfect but they still do the best they can. We’ve been sewing masks following this pattern. https://www.youtube.com/embed/4FB--BOyTiU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLNn4Uwd65bytdvoIZUolakXKVucVPibI6 We got anti-microbial tshirts for the outer layer. And of course the best thing about these masks is that you can chuck them in the washing machine. That [no-sew folding mask pattern](https://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie) posted earlier is pretty great, too. Not going out is of course the best answer, but even a happy hermit like myself still has the occasional errand that can’t be handled via Amazon. If I had a plague doctor mask handy, I would rock the shit out of it. ETA: and don’t forget your gloves! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/55 "2020-04-05T12:50:52Z")
How many times per day should I wash my mask? ---
**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 5, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/56 "2020-04-05T15:25:52Z")
So, I did a little experiment this morning. I filled a nasal spray container with a dilute solution of saline and fluorescein and inhaled the solution with a couple of shots in each nostril going down into the respiratory tract. (Except for a couple of coughs after inhaling I have not had any coughing or respiratory irritation except for the normal throat-clearing and the occasional irritation I get from eating certain foods.) I thoroughly my hands and forearms all the way to the elbow, and the face and neck and then dried them with a linen dish towel. I then proceeded to tie a poly-cotton shemagh around my face and neck, fully covering up to the bridge of the nose an all the way doing to the shoulders with a double-double layer across my nose and mouth, making a quasi-seal below the eyes and enclosing the entire neck area all the way down to my shirt. The shemagh was washed relatively recently in Woolite and air-dried so there are no phosphor compounds on it. I then went for a ~20 minute walk around my neighborhood with an insulated coffee bottle in my left hand (more to prevent using that hand to touch anything) and my right hand mostly in my pocket or tucked into my shirt Napoleon-style. I After returning from the walk I went into an enclosed unlit room, and used a UV flashlight to inspect myself and the shemagh. The shemagh was moist to the touch around the nose and mouth area, and under UV light was completely saturated with exhaled fluorescein in a large patch that essentially covered the whole face. Only the material on the back side of the mask was relatively clear (probably contaminated when I removed it). My face, including my forehead, area under the chin, and front of the neck was pretty uniformly covered in fluorescein. My right hand, which I used occasionally to adjust the mask as it started to loose and slip, was covered in the fingers and palm, and even the back had a large enough amount to be seen. My left hand, which held the coffee bottle nearly the entire time (I put it down once to check my phone) and never touched my face or came closer than 12 inches, had detectable levels of fluorescein on the back, but not on the front where it was wrapped around the coffee bottle. While this is not a scientific test with any type of control (i.e. someone walking around with no mask) and the shemagh has an intentionally coarse weave so it is not the best filter material, this does lead me to conclude that improvised non-respirator masks are essentially useless for preventing the spread of fine mist or aerosols from the respiratory tract. The shemagh face covering did not even prevent exhaled droplets or aerosols from covering the hand that was not touching my face, and because of how saturated the fabric became in even a short period anything that touches it, like a hand to adjust it, becomes thoroughly contaminated as well. I suspect normal, non-respirator surgical masks are not much better because of the gapping they have in the side (to permit breath in and out) and because they do not cover below the chin where larger droplets may settle on the face and neck. Wearing masks is a social cue that you are taking this epidemic seriously and that you presumably expect others to do the same, but as a method of preventing the spread of the virus, they are all but useless. Stranger ---
**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 5, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/57 "2020-04-05T15:30:00Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How many times per day should I wash my mask? You should thoroughly dry the mask whenever possible to ensure that bacteria do not colonize on it and then be inhaled. Treating a mask with isopropyl alcohol may also be helpful. I would not put chlorine or any other cleaning products on the mask for concerns that you’ll inhale the residual fumes and that may irritate your respiratory tract making you more susceptible to infection. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/58 "2020-04-05T15:39:44Z")
What kind of Isopropyl alcohol? The kind we [get with disposable medical swabs](https://sehat.com.pk/products/Alcohol-Swabs-200%27s.html)? ---
**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 5, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/59 "2020-04-05T15:52:53Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > What kind of Isopropyl alcohol? The kind we [get with disposable medical swabs](https://sehat.com.pk/products/Alcohol-Swabs-200%27s.html)? I think you’d need more than you’d get off of a swab. You would really want to saturate the fabric to ensure that it kills any pathogenic bacteria. Or you could just dry it under high heat which will (probably) kill most pathogens, but I wouldn’t do that with a single-use surgical mask because the material will probably start to break down. Stranger ---
**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 5, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-im-done-with-expert-advice-and-done-asking-im-telling-you-wear-a-mother-fucking-mask/850973/60 "2020-04-05T16:05:39Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > So, I did a little experiment this morning. I filled a nasal spray container with a dilute solution of saline and fluorescein and inhaled the solution with a couple of shots in each nostril going down into the respiratory tract. (Except for a couple of coughs after inhaling I have not had any coughing or respiratory irritation except for the normal throat-clearing and the occasional irritation I get from eating certain foods.) I thoroughly my hands and forearms all the way to the elbow, and the face and neck and then dried them with a linen dish towel. I then proceeded to tie a poly-cotton shemagh around my face and neck, fully covering up to the bridge of the nose an all the way doing to the shoulders with a double-double layer across my nose and mouth, making a quasi-seal below the eyes and enclosing the entire neck area all the way down to my shirt. The shemagh was washed relatively recently in Woolite and air-dried so there are no phosphor compounds on it. I then went for a ~20 minute walk around my neighborhood with an insulated coffee bottle in my left hand (more to prevent using that hand to touch anything) and my right hand mostly in my pocket or tucked into my shirt Napoleon-style. I > > After returning from the walk I went into an enclosed unlit room, and used a UV flashlight to inspect myself and the shemagh. The shemagh was moist to the touch around the nose and mouth area, and under UV light was completely saturated with exhaled fluorescein in a large patch that essentially covered the whole face. Only the material on the back side of the mask was relatively clear (probably contaminated when I removed it). My face, including my forehead, area under the chin, and front of the neck was pretty uniformly covered in fluorescein. My right hand, which I used occasionally to adjust the mask as it started to loose and slip, was covered in the fingers and palm, and even the back had a large enough amount to be seen. My left hand, which held the coffee bottle nearly the entire time (I put it down once to check my phone) and never touched my face or came closer than 12 inches, had detectable levels of fluorescein on the back, but not on the front where it was wrapped around the coffee bottle. > > While this is not a scientific test with any type of control (i.e. someone walking around with no mask) and the shemagh has an intentionally coarse weave so it is not the best filter material, this does lead me to conclude that improvised non-respirator masks are essentially useless for preventing the spread of fine mist or aerosols from the respiratory tract. The shemagh face covering did not even prevent exhaled droplets or aerosols from covering the hand that was not touching my face, and because of how saturated the fabric became in even a short period anything that touches it, like a hand to adjust it, becomes thoroughly contaminated as well. I suspect normal, non-respirator surgical masks are not much better because of the gapping they have in the side (to permit breath in and out) and because they do not cover below the chin where larger droplets may settle on the face and neck. Wearing masks is a social cue that you are taking this epidemic seriously and that you presumably expect others to do the same, but as a method of preventing the spread of the virus, they are all but useless. > > Stranger Well, thanks for taking one up the nose for science. The question that remains is whether an improvised mask is better than no mask at all. I don’t know if your anecdotal results should necessarily lead to the conclusion that masks are useless. Especially so when they are and have been the PPE standard in medicine to date. [Previous 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) [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=4)