Do you wear a mask in stores?

[Rianne]

I have a dilemma. I've got a pack of Curad Antiviral face masks that are 99.99% effective against the various flu viruses it's been tested against, but obviously not Covid-19. It doesn't say N95 anywhere, but it seems like a pretty effective mask. The box is a couple years old, but they've been stored in a cool place, and the masks are individually sealed in cellophane packages.

I also have a P95 Respirator (like this one) that I bought but never used a couple years ago for a project involving anti-mold fogging.

I need to make one more store run before settling in for a month. I'm tempted to wear the respirator, just to be more safe. Hopefully I won't scare anybody, but truthfully I don't really care. Does anyone have any information or an opinion as to whether one would be better than the other?

I have a Cambridge N99 military mask I got a year or so ago. It is 99% protective against viruses and I'm wearing that out and about now. Your 99.9% should be excellent. Can you reuse it? My mask says 360 hours of protected use. https://cambridgemask.com/
Scroll and it shows the size of particles it protects against.
The respirator looks a bit scary, but if you feel comfortable wearing it, why not? It's a new world.

 

[Rianne]

No problem.

We should expect CDC face mask guidelines changed shortly and WHO will most likely follow suit.

Here is an eye opening video from NHK Japan illustrating respiratory micro droplets

Sent this one to relatives in Italy who question the danger of aerosol spread. Dr. Peter Attia recent podcast (March 30) discusses the danger of this type of spread. When you "think" you're safe, you're not.

 

[tmm99]

There are a lot of people on our local next door app talking about this and the general thoughts are that if you wear an N95 mask you are harming health care workers.

I ordered some cloth face covers that I plan to wear in the stores. But I do have a few N95 masks that I bought five years ago, and I may put an N95 mask on first and then use the cloth mask on top of it. While the N95 mask would be sufficient, I would not want to be seen with one on in public and deal with the dirty looks I might get.

I do know that that's the sentiment (healthcare workers need masks and they should be donated), but I was just wondering if anybody has actually has been harassed for wearing a mask as there are different reasons people do possess the masks they do.

As for the N95 mask with an additional mask over it - You may want to practice wearing them both at the same time. I don't fare well with an N95 mask to start with (shortness of breath and headache as if I'm lacking oxygen), so adding something else in addition will probably make me sick, but YMMV.

 

[tmm99]

I don't wash my mask, but I spray both sides with alcohol and leave it out in another room (to quarantine) for a few days. (I try not to go out anymore, but if I do, I have my mask ready for use.)

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We be going "Gangsta" at our place... Thanks to DW for the sexy masks. She made some for the local nurse and all our neighbors too.. LOL

And to the OP yes we do.

 

[Aerides]

I do know that that's the sentiment (healthcare workers need masks and they should be donated), but I was just wondering if anybody has actually has been harassed for wearing a mask as there are different reasons people do possess the masks they do.

If they were, it was weeks ago, and not today. Even a week ago, 30-40% of folks in my stores were wearing masks. Today it's well over 50%.

Of course, people are still twits. Pulling their mask down to yell at someone, or having it sit around their neck while they make a phone call, and completely oblivious to what 6 feet means...

 

[MBAustin]

I wore my DIY no-sew mask (pleated bandanna and elastic) today for the first time to the farmers market and Walgreens. Fortunately it's chilly today because I found it hot and uncomfortable - would be really unpleasant in summer heat. More than ½ of the folks at the farmers market were masked, less at Walgreens.

 

[gerntz]

I don’t but there was a young man in the grocery store today in hospital scrubs, mask, and gloves.

He had his own bag and stripped off his gloves before removing his wallet.

There is a hospital nearby so I’m assuming he was on his way to work. Got my attention.

Bad move bringing a virus attracting bag.

 

[gerntz]

So if I want a mask, where do I get a mask now?

 

[Aerides]

So if I want a mask, where do I get a mask now?

You make one, or find a friend who is making them. Or improvise with a bandana, a scarf, etc. Many tutorials are found online of ways to make one.

 

[fh2000]

So if I want a mask, where do I get a mask now?

Try walmart.com online. Few hours ago, I see they carry surgical masks (100 pieces) for something like $58. I just checked, and no more. But there are washable face coverings available for a premium.

 

[tmm99]

You make one, or find a friend who is making them. Or improvise with a bandana, a scarf, etc. Many tutorials are found online of ways to make one.

Estsy, eBay, amazon for cloth face masks...

 

[tmm99]

So if I want a mask, where do I get a mask now?

Just to add...

There are no-sew tutorial masks on youtube too if you don't sew.

Also, etsy, eBay, amazon for cloth face masks if you don't want to make your own...

 

[ziggy29]

I've seen how to do it with handkerchiefs and elastic hair ties. I bought some of each just before they started selling out everywhere.

 

[gerntz]

You make one, or find a friend who is making them. Or improvise with a bandana, a scarf, etc. Many tutorials are found online of ways to make one.

Thanks, but I want to walk in my local discount store & buy one cheap.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

You make one, or find a friend who is making them. Or improvise with a bandana, a scarf, etc. Many tutorials are found online of ways to make one.

Here's one tutorial. I just now tried it, and it works. (I didn't have any hair ties, so I used a couple of rubber bands. I had to find just the right rubber band, however. Not any one will do.)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1246186931643449349

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Make sure you wash your mask when you get home, I like to spray ours with Lysol too.

 

[Badger]

Just to add...

There are no-sew tutorial masks on youtube too if you don't sew.

Also, etsy, eBay, amazon for cloth face masks if you don't want to make your own...

Don't forget there are products if you don't have a sewing machine like Stitch Witchery. And the mask can be washed and still stay together.

https://www.joann.com/dritz-stitch-...ZHTSnKdrsCl1NWaBwKDCGCYUUxfPIunxoCI9EQAvD_BwE

 

[Ready]

While washing the mask is a good idea, remember that the virus has at best been shown to have a 3 day life on certain surfaces. So if you have two or three different masks, and you are only going out to go shopping once or twice a week, it should easily be a week or longer before you have to reuse a mask. So just letting them sit on the shelf for a week should be sufficient as a disinfectant.

 

[Aerides]

Thanks, but I want to walk in my local discount store & buy one cheap.

yeah well that's not gonna happen.

 

[easysurfer]

Pros/cons as for securing the masks?

Namely, tie straps vs loop around the ear.

Seems to me tie straps might be more secure and durable, but more difficult to use.

 

[Born2BRetd]

Blue Shop Towels for Masks

https://totallythebomb.com/blue-shop-towels-may-be-the-best-material-to-use-when-making-face-masks

See the link above (hopefully I linked it properly) regarding clothing designers who are testing and making masks. Turns out the homemade masks using cotton cloth don't work very well. These designers are testing different materials to see what will work properly and are fund raising to have one of their designs tested.

All of this makes me question why the government took so long to ask the public to wear masks. Why did they focus on telling us not to wear masks since in their convoluted reasoning they would only work for medical personnel. Most of us saw through the double speak and went out and bought masks creating the exact situation the government was afraid of: not enough masks for healthcare providers.

I'm glad that these designers are being so resourceful. I think it's great. However, do we not have scientists in this country? Why didn't the government put their minds to providing the knowledge on how to make adequate masks at home. The government shouldn't just tell people to wrap a bandana around their face. They should use science, find the right materials and tell people what to use.

 

[sengsational]

Make sure you wash your mask when you get home, I like to spray ours with Lysol too.

While washing the mask is a good idea, remember that the virus has at best been shown to have a 3 day life on certain surfaces. So if you have two or three different masks, and you are only going out to go shopping once or twice a week, it should easily be a week or longer before you have to reuse a mask. So just letting them sit on the shelf for a week should be sufficient as a disinfectant.

Letting them sit on a shelf is a better idea than using any kind of washing technique. The reason? Because any kind of washing has a high likelihood of reducing the effectiveness of the mask. Why? Because these masks are not just a sheet of paper, they're a formed matrix with a static charge.

This site is supposed to get an article about how to make masks safe and effective for re-use: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/infectious-disease-topics/covid-19 The article is not there yet (as far as I could tell), but Michael Osterholm said at 37:40 of (this netcast) that the article was going to be published "this week" and it would have the intellectual support of 3M, the producer of the masks they're trying to re-use. If anyone finds a link to the article, please advise in this thread. Nobody wants to be walking around thinking they're in N95-land when they're really not because they did a "mask wash" that lowered the mask's ability to protect you.

 

[harllee]

I have no masks, no sewing machine, no mask material. So I used old an old t shirt to make a mask based on a youtube video since the CDC is recommending for us to wear masks. I figured it was better than nothing. The t shirt mask is comfortable and fits pretty good but the problem I am having is that the pollen is so bad her my nose is itching, running and I am sneezing (I am taking antihistamines--they don't help much). My question--How are you suppose to wear a mask with a runny itchy nose?

 

[dd564]

I did not wear a mask last night when I went to the store and I probably won't. If I cough, I'll cough into my sleeve or shirt / jacket and maintain proper distancing as best as possible.