The local county is mandating that “essential business” workers begin wearing masks when they interact with customers beginning April 16 and that customers themselves wear masks beginning April 23.
Have I lost my mind or wasn’t it all over the news at least last week where those in the know were pleading with people NOT to buy masks because there was little use for them in public places and that by buying them, we were taking necessary equipment away from medical providers?
Or have we always been at war with Eastasia?
But what is the straight dope? Is is beneficial either to me or to others to wear a mask in public?
There are simple masks that people are being encouraged (and in some places required) to wear, and there are N95 respirator masks. The masks people are being asked to wear are just to prevent spread of cough and sneeze droplets that can infect others - since people who are asymptomatic may have no idea they present a danger to others. The authorities understand that these type of masks do nothing significant to prevent the wearers from catching Covid-19, but they can help to prevent the spread.
The PPE rules remain in place - don’t go buying masks that are needed to protect healthcare and other front line workers. But there has been a change in the recommendations about simple cotton or operating room masks that aren’t in short supply. We’re learning and evolving the response - this is to be expected.
I’m surprised that those dates are so far into the future. But I’m not surprised that some areas are starting to issue such orders.
We have whole long, contentious threads here about whether or not to wear masks, like Why was the American public told not to wear face masks? — which, as of now, ends with several participants getting Mod Notes and the moderator announcing in general that “EVERYBODY NEEDS TO CHILL THE HELL OUT.”
I saw an article featuring homemade cloth masks recently and looked into buying a few in case this situation continues. I saw everything from very simple designs that were $15 a piece or 3 for $40 all the way to “dressy” designer masks that were $165.
I found some that looked good and began placing an order. After completing all the info (billing address, shipping address) they let slide that orders being placed now would be shipped May 30.
What we know about how the virus spreads increases the more we study it. We knew that asymptomatic transmission occurs. Now we also know that contagious levels of the virus is expelled out the mouth and nose by infected people even without coughing or sneezing. Therefore, covering our mouths will help all us Typhoid Mary’s from spreading the disease.
We were told not to wear masks because it was exacerbating a shortage of really nice N95 masks in medical facilities. The masks we’re being told to wear now are not those.
Yeah, the messaging was pretty bad on this, but that’s what happened.
Wearing an N95 mask in every day life won’t really provide you the wearer much protection. Telling people that so they didn’t buy up all the N95 masks was sort of reasonable.
If everyone wears some kind of mask over their nose and mouth though, then we’ll reduce transmission rates because people who are sick but lightly symptomatic or asymptomatic won’t spread it as much.
Everyone should wear a cloth mask. Only medical workers need N95 masks.
I made my own from a bandana, coffee filter and rubber bands in under a minute. Won’t get me into any fashion magazines, but it was comfortable and probably helps.
The Raleigh News & Observer printed instructions for making cloth masks at home. Since I can’t sew worth shit, I’m rummaging around the house for a bandanna or scarf I can wear when I go grocery shopping tomorrow.
I wore my mask when I stopped at the local farm market for onions, potatoes and salsa. The owner thanked me for wearing a mask for her. She said she’d kiss me if it didn’t totally negate my wearing it.
She’s having a rough time. They’re an essential business and have been pretty busy. But is that a good thing?
I wore a bandana makeshift folded mask to get takeout food yesterday and about half the people I saw out and about were wearing masks. Both employees at the pizzeria were wearing them.
Today we should get some cloth masks that a friend sewed for us.
It’s stressful for sure. It’s probably a bit of a boom time for a few businesses but unlike other little booms, this one comes with a scary disease’s safety protocols and staffing issues.
I’m an essential business, but things are very slow. I asked my employees if anyone would prefer working versus unemployment. One woman wanted to work, so I laid everyone else off.
The farm market is staffed completely by family. The woman I talked to yesterday has to deal with putting her daughter in harms way everyday. We were just chatting online and so far today only about half her customers have been masked. People suck.
I don’t understand the rage toward people not wearing masks in public. Until less than a week ago that was the official advice. Now you can’t order anything, not even bandanas to arrive in less than a couple weeks.
Honestly, I am still skeptical. All the things we heard about the dangers of infecting yourself with an improperly worn mask are still there. And I wonder how many people are thoroughly washing their masks every day.
I am seeing a lot of people making masks out of T shirts. The holes in that fabric are huge, especially if you are stretching it over your face. If the whole point of this change of heart is because we figured out smaller particles are being spread how much is something like this really going to help and is it worth the extra risk of people wearing dirty masks and rubbing their fingers all over their faces trying to adjust them?
Does anyone have a source for good quality washable masks that ship quickly?
Yeah, I’m not sure what to do the next time I have to go out for groceries or whatever. I don’t think I have any actual masks on hand. I could tie a rag or T-shirt or something over my face, but would that actually be better than nothing?
I went to the store today. I saw three people get out of their cars with masks down around their chins or necks, then when the got to the door of the store, pull them up and adjust them, touching their faces all over. One person Purelled first. Inside the store, nearly every civilian (as opposed to the workers) wearing a mask, bandana, whatever, touched it at some point. Two people, who apparently knew each other, even pulled them down to have a conversation-- standing about two feet apart. Every time I go into a store, I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT. I even make a point of gesturing to people instead of talking. I don’t know why more people don’t make an effort in that regard, but there are people who still try to chat me up in the cheese section.
I wonder if there will be a lower incidence of transmission among people who use a signed language as their everyday language? People who sign instead of speaking orally aren’t spit-talking all over each other, and tend to stand a little further apart-- and have the capability of standing really far apart.