Do you wear a mask in stores?

[tmm99]

I haven't been in a store for a while, but I'll wear a mask and gloves if and when I go in one from now on. DW wears an N95 mask and gloves when she goes. I have several other "House dust" masks, but only 1 N95 mask. If I go out, I'll have to wear a "house dust" mask if DW has the N95 on.

How well does DW fare with her N95 mask? I felt like I would pass out when I put mine on. Developed an instant headache as well. I had to inhale really hard to get enough exygen like on my first day in Arequipa (7,500+ ft in elevation). I know the mask was working as the mask would shrink in size when I breathed in and there was no fogging on my glasses, but I was so uncomfortable.

 

[Charlie_Boy]

Interesting...

I have a little observation but I am not wise enough to draw any conclusion. We do not know when the virus will be controlled worldwide.

Austria population 9 million with 9377 cases to date
Belgium 11 million with 11899 cases
Netherlands 17 million with 11750 cases

Vietnam 95 million with 203 cases
Taiwan 24 million with 306 cases
Hongkong 7 million with 642 cases
Singapore 5.6 million with 879 cases

Above Asian countries/region are very close to China with many Chinese tourists but all have relatively small number of cases, and single digit of deaths.

What is it that they do, that European countries are not doing? When this is all over, I am sure some wise scholars will have explanation for us.

Interesting question given that just above this question was a link to a discussion with Dr. Kim Woo-Ju, a Professor of Infectious Disease in Korea. In the discussion the doctor states that one of the main reasons for the low number of cases in many Asian countries versus the United States is the use of masks by the people. The guidance we got here in the States was to ensure that masks are available for medical personnel. Don't hoard them but if you can find any, wear them when you go out.

 

[Ready]

It looks like the White House is considering masks for everyone:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/politics/trump-masks-coronavirus-recommendation/index.html

 

[davebarnes]

Нет

 

[gwraigty]

It looks like the White House is considering masks for everyone:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/30/politics/trump-masks-coronavirus-recommendation/index.html

The source said part of the issue with the recommendation is the current supply of masks would not meet the ongoing demand. Then, of course, there is the issue of medical professionals who still lack critical personal protective equipment due to supply shortages.
"You don't want to create a shortage for health care workers," the source said.

And the above highly relevant quote from the article is why it won't happen, IMO, otherwise it would be mandated.

 

[Pointby2]

No we don't. Don't have any or know where to get them. Unfortunately, my wife is a pharmacist that sees sick people all day, and she doesn't have a mask either.

 

[REWahoo]

And now this...

CDC considering recommending general public wear face coverings in public

...Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are considering altering the official guidance to encourage people to take measures to cover their faces amid the coronavirus pandemic...

CDC guidance on masks remains under development, according to a federal official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is an ongoing matter of internal discussion and nothing has been finalized. The official said the new guidance would make clear that the general public should not use medical masks — including surgical and N95 masks — that are in desperately short supply and needed by health-care workers.

Instead, the recommendation under consideration calls for using do-it-yourself cloth coverings...

 

[harley]

I wore a mask today to Lowes and Costco. Didn't really need it at Lowes, as I never came within 25 feet of anyone until the checkout counter, and there was a plastic shield between me and her. In Costco I was one of about 5% of the people there wearing one.

 

[Sunset]

...

If you do feel the need to wear gloves kindly don't dispose of them in the grocery store parking lot. It's just disgusting!

I carefully take off my gloves and put them in the car. Then at home I set them aside after washing off my groceries with a bleach spray.
I let the gloves age about 7 days, then I can wear them again.

To throw away gloves is pretty wasteful, and I'll bet it's hard to buy them now, so I make mine last as long as I can.

 

[LOL!]

I'm going grocery shopping today for the first time in a few weeks. I think I will wear a [-]hazmat[/-] rain suit that I have and remove it outside my car when I come out of the store and place it in plastic garbage bag for the drive home. I will remove it without touching any of the outside of it turning it inside out in the process. I have practiced doing this at home.

As for gloves, we have those nice rubber dishwashing gloves that go halfway up your arm. They can be turned inside-out, too. Certainly they can be washed as can the suit.

I can leave the credit card I use to pay in a pocket in the suit. I won't have to touch any part of my car with contaminated gloves nor suit in order to unlock it and drive home.

Also, I have several N95 masks purchased a year ago to use in a forest fire, but I don't think I will use one this time.

All this is mostly for practice in future weeks when more people around us are sickened and contagious.

 

[Ronstar]

How well does DW fare with her N95 mask? I felt like I would pass out when I put mine on. Developed an instant headache as well. I had to inhale really hard to get enough exygen like on my first day in Arequipa (7,500+ ft in elevation). I know the mask was working as the mask would shrink in size when I breathed in and there was no fogging on my glasses, but I was so uncomfortable.

She does fine with it. I do fine with it in my workshop for hours. But we are at elevation 500. I can see where wearing a mask at elevation 7500 could be difficult.

 

[JoeWras]

Based on the new articles about the choir practice gone wrong in Washington, I'm more and more convinced there has to be an airborne element, at least some of the time.

That's why I'm going to wear one when I eventually go out.

One more thing about masks that work, as mentioned here earlier, is that they stop you from touching your face. So even if touch is the primary transmission, they help. BTW, a homemade mask is perfect for that purpose. So even if you don't believe there is an airborne element, make your own non-N95 mask and wear it. It will still help!

I remember in January seeing some goofy pictures coming from Asia of weird home made masks. At the time, we discussed them here and laughed. I'm not laughing anymore.

 

[tmm99]

She does fine with it. I do fine with it in my workshop for hours. But we are at elevation 500. I can see where wearing a mask at elevation 7500 could be difficult.

Sorry, what I meant was that when I wear the N95 mask, I can't breathe, as if I was at a higher elevation.

Good that you two do fine with it. Maybe I just need to get used to it. I may try wearing it at home some and see.

 

[calmloki]

Mother of invention:

 

[Chuckanut]

Do it yourself cloth coverings

Does it count if I put a bag over my head?

There are no masks to be bought anywhere in my area.

 

[Rianne]

I'm now wearing a mask in any enclosed space. Grocery store or pharmacy. This from a People's Pharmacy article.

"The Deadly Choir Practice:

That’s because of the Skagit Valley Chorale in Washington state. The choir conductor decided to go ahead with practice and informed the 121 members they could join him on March 10, 2020, at the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church. About half the choir showed up.
Now here’s the important part of the story. No one who attended was coughing or sneezing. They were “asymptomatic.” The singers did not hug, shake hands or stand close together. They practiced physical distancing."

“A greeter offered hand sanitizer at the door, and members refrained from the usual hugs and handshakes.
“‘It seemed like a normal rehearsal, except that choirs are huggy places,” Burdick recalled. ‘We were making music and trying to keep a certain distance between each other.’”
“After 2½ hours, the singers parted ways at 9 p.m.”


"Now we get to the scary part of the story. According to the LA Times, 45 out of 60 singers either developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or tested positive for the virus. Sadly, two have died."
​

 

[tmm99]

I know, after reading the choir article, I wanted to wear a pair of safety goggles in addition to a mask, although they're not exactly tight fit.

I've always tried to stay away from shoppers talking on their cell phones, but I will need to be more vigilant.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I know, after reading the choir article, I wanted to wear a pair of safety goggles in addition to a mask, although they're not exactly tight fit.

As long as they keep you from touching your eyes, you'll be a lot safer wearing them.

 

[Rianne]

As long as they keep you from touching your eyes, you'll be a lot safer wearing them.

I wear glasses, which helps. Training myself not to touch them. I guess the particles could float in from the side. I'm becoming concerned about the aerosol particles. They don't fall to the ground quickly. I understand can float in the air for many hours.

 

[JoeWras]

As long as they keep you from touching your eyes, you'll be a lot safer wearing them.

Yes. I'm wearing my safety goggles. I don't have any good prescriptions to wear normally.

The lady wearing the sponge may not be as crazy as you think. It should keep her from touching her nose and mouth. I just hope it wasn't previously used and smelled foul.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I wear glasses, which helps. Training myself not to touch them. I guess the particles could float in from the side. I'm becoming concerned about the aerosol particles. They don't fall to the ground quickly. I understand can float in the air for many hours.

This is why six feet is the minimum distancing when you HAVE to be around other people, it's not a "I can hang out with my friends for as long as I want if I keep about six feet away" rule. But simple skin contact isn't thought to be a vector, the danger (as you indicate) is that aerosolized droplets will come into contact with mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth, either directly or indirectly. But if there are droplets that could come into direct contact with your eyes, you'd probably either breathe them in, or pull them onto your respirator mask if you're wearing one. I'm not saying it can't happen, just that it's much less likely. Droplets do tend to fall fairly quickly, but in the air or not, they're usually infectious until they dry up, probably about 3 hours from what I've read in the medical literature.

So, IMO, the best defense is to avoid enclosed spaces where other people have been. If you have to go to the store, go during off hours, overnight even if you can.

 

[Rustic23]

We do not, yet. However, wearing one makes since to me. If you can transmit Covid before you have symptoms, and the mask cuts down on this, then it stands to reason if everyone wore one, there would be less transmission, and we would aid in social distancing. Many have said it reminds you not to touch your face, also a good thing.

Twenty or more years ago, when I traveled to asian countries, mainly Korea, and Japan, it was not uncommon to see people wearing surgical mask. I have read anecdotal stories theorizing that the wearing of masks in Korea aided in lower transmission numbers. So it seems to me, other than it taking away the number of mask available to medical personnel and home made mask don't even do that, it is a no harm no foul kind of thing, and, if it works to curb transmission maybe the medical community would not need as many mask.

 

[audreyh1]

And now this...

CDC considering recommending general public wear face coverings in public

Do it yourself cloth coverings - I have a set of bandanas!

Very western looking I’ll be.

 

[JoeWras]

When we get on the other side of this, I think we'll see a huge change of behavior among North American and European citizens. Not sure we'll be wearing masks to the extent they do in Asia, but we're going to at least see a decent portion of folks doing so.

First, we got to get the supply up and stop the mask shaming. Then it is going to happen.

 

[homestead]

Went shopping early this morning and was surprised to see about 30% of the folks were
wearing a mask or bandana on the face. I was using a p95 mask I bought a couple years
ago which was very comfortable and easy to breath with the valve on the front. None of the
employees were wearing a mask.