Experts say face masks can help slow COVID-19, despite previous claims

[NYCgrrl]

I am so confused about this. Do we need masks? If so, how would I get them when they are sold out everywhere? Don't healthcare workers need them more? If I go to the store without one will that be a problem. I do need to go to the store and I'm not sure if I should now. I am not really "stocked up" and have been figuring it was okay to go out once a week, but now I'm not so sure. I don't really know what to do.

There are several different types of face masks. The frontline healthcare workers need n95 masks; the hospital custodians for instance use a lower grade mask since they are not regularly exposed to bodily fluids.

Get a mask like the type that manicurists, construction workers, etc use.
In NYS, certain groups (70y/o+) are required to use the lower grade masks when food shopping/visiting doctors, etc. NYC has other groups added in I think. At this point most people just wear masks to go outside and err on the safe side especially since the mask protocol keeps changing. Given how rapidly the the virus is moving across the country I would invest in my health by wearing them, required or not, where ever I am in the world but it sounds like your state hasn't reached the point of requiring them yet.

I just shipped a package of masks to my son who lives on the west coast. My other son works for the US military in another country and gets them via his work.

 

[NYCgrrl]

It's official ish, LOL

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/world/coronavirus-news-updates.html

 

[BuckeyeBama]

It's official ish, LOL

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/world/coronavirus-news-updates.html

"This is voluntary. I don't think I am going to be doing it."

Thank you for your leadership.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I was going to make some face masks for my family and some friends. But Wal-mart is out of elastic and the fabric stores that would carry more are all closed. So glad they were classified as "non-essential".

Bandanas are selling out too...even online.

 

[JimMIA]

It's official ish, LOL

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/world/coronavirus-news-updates.html

Good luck trying to buy any!

 

[bcla]

There are several different types of face masks. The frontline healthcare workers need n95 masks; the hospital custodians for instance use a lower grade mask since they are not regularly exposed to bodily fluids.

Get a mask like the type that manicurists, construction workers, etc use.
In NYS, certain groups (70y/o+) are required to use the lower grade masks when food shopping/visiting doctors, etc. NYC has other groups added in I think. At this point most people just wear masks to go outside and err on the safe side especially since the mask protocol keeps changing. Given how rapidly the the virus is moving across the country I would invest in my health by wearing them, required or not, where ever I am in the world but it sounds like your state hasn't reached the point of requiring them yet.

I just shipped a package of masks to my son who lives on the west coast. My other son works for the US military in another country and gets them via his work.

I learned about N95 masks during several of the wildfire seasons we had here in California. Back then there were occasional shortages, but nothing like what we have now. I remember they were fairly easy to find and not terribly expensive. My kid's school was handing them out, although they were some sort of house brand from a supply house. And they were adult sized and didn't really fit kids' mouths terribly well. When I could find N95 masks at Home Depot, it was their house brand and some small 3M ones I got my my wife and kid. And everything I've been able to find has been standard white, while medical style ones seem identical except for the light blue color.

I thought most of what has been sold has been N95. These were primarily used by contractors - especially those dealing with dusty areas including paint sanding. I rarely saw anything that said it wasn't N95 certified - mostly the cheapest stuff at dollar stores.

From what I recall about them during the wildfires was that they shouldn't be used more than maybe 12 hours before being tossed. However, this was back when the worry was about smoke particulates, which would get trapped. Once they trapped too much, it would get harder to breathe through them, and eventually the trapped particulates would then push through. And they were hard enough to breathe through when properly worn. And a lot of people didn't properly fit them. The ones I had used metal nose pieces, and they wouldn't properly fit around beards.

Not sure how all that might reflect how they should be used to prevent transmission of a virus. I thought the point was that the material would attract any droplets - either from or to the wearer. If there isn't a lot of large particulate matter in the air, it probably isn't going to clog like a bad wildfire air day.

 

[Sjm9911]

If anyone is wondering , my 2nd order of kn95 have not come in yet. Amazon says they are delayed. Im going to say, not shipped, we will see. The first order was canceled by amazon.

 

[BrianL]

Good luck trying to buy any!

That's what I'm saying. I will need to go to the store today or tomorrow and I'm not going to be able to acquire one. I may jsut really go stock up this time and then not go back out at all. Then I can skip the mask.

 

[Sjm9911]

See of there is a place to pick up stuff only or have it delivered. They might not have exactly what tou want , but its better then nothing.

 

[bcla]

That's what I'm saying. I will need to go to the store today or tomorrow and I'm not going to be able to acquire one. I may jsut really go stock up this time and then not go back out at all. Then I can skip the mask.

Probably the biggest retailer of N95 masks in the US is Home Depot, and they've decided to no longer sell them to the public in favor of donating their entire stock of them to medical providers. I checked on Home Depot's website, and all the listings are up, but they say not sold in stores and not available online.

I remember wearing these things. If properly fitted, they're hard to breathe through them. They come with tons of warnings that improper use could be fatal (I guess in severe cases), although from what I've seen the biggest risk is improper fit. I've seen a lot of people not actually have the elastic on properly or where it doesn't look like the metal nose piece was properly molded to wearer's face. Obviously some people are doing that for comfort, but then that makes them less effective.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Good luck trying to buy any!

I purchased masks back during the Lunar New Year.
I didn't trust the then information that they weren't needed by the general population.
The ex's sister is mailing me some from France and I hope they get here fast since I'm running low.

 

[NYCgrrl]

That's what I'm saying. I will need to go to the store today or tomorrow and I'm not going to be able to acquire one. I may jsut really go stock up this time and then not go back out at all. Then I can skip the mask.

When I went to the supermarket yesterday, people were wearing various types of masks (homemade and store-bought), full face ski masks, and scarves. Told a fellow shopper it looked like a bank robbers' convention, LOL.

Here, we are discouraged (and have been for weeks) to leave the house for any reason that isn't essentials so it boils down to my leaving the house on average once a week which makes the store bought masks last longer. I make sure to combine my need for a walk with market shopping or medical needs so am not popping in and out.

I'm sure you have something in your house that can simulate a mask if you look not too hard.

GL and don't forget to bring a shopping list. Oh and as pp stated forget Lowe's /HD. They haven't had masks since...maybe February.

 

[JimMIA]

Probably the biggest retailer of N95 masks in the US is Home Depot, and they've decided to no longer sell them to the public in favor of donating their entire stock of them to medical providers. I checked on Home Depot's website, and all the listings are up, but they say not sold in stores and not available online.

I remember wearing these things. If properly fitted, they're hard to breathe through them. They come with tons of warnings that improper use could be fatal (I guess in severe cases), although from what I've seen the biggest risk is improper fit. I've seen a lot of people not actually have the elastic on properly or where it doesn't look like the metal nose piece was properly molded to wearer's face. Obviously some people are doing that for comfort, but then that makes them less effective.

N95 is a specification indicating that the mask will filter out 95% of small particles. The masks sold by Home Depot are not medical masks, they are construction/woodworking masks. They work fine, but medical masks are usually all-fabric -- a little lighter, but same effectiveness. But you're right -- they definitely do restrict your breathing.

For going to a grocery store, N95 is serious overkill unless you are at risk. Plus, they're all going to healthcare right now...where they should go.

A light medical/dental mask is probably good enough for a short potential exposure like grocery shopping. You're hopefully not going to be in prolonged direct contact with contaminated people -- moving them from their beds, washing them, etc like healthcare workers.

 

[TLSnell1981]

If anyone is wondering , my 2nd order of kn95 have not come in yet. Amazon says they are delayed. Im going to say, not shipped, we will see. The first order was canceled by amazon.

Medical facilities haven't regularly received orders in the last two months....not just n95

 

[bcla]

N95 is a specification indicating that the mask will filter out 95% of small particles. The masks sold by Home Depot are not medical masks, they are construction/woodworking masks. They work fine, but medical masks are usually all-fabric -- a little lighter, but same effectiveness. But you're right -- they definitely do restrict your breathing.

For going to a grocery store, N95 is serious overkill unless you are at risk. Plus, they're all going to healthcare right now...where they should go.

A light medical/dental mask is probably good enough for a short potential exposure like grocery shopping. You're hopefully not going to be in prolonged direct contact with contaminated people -- moving them from their beds, washing them, etc like healthcare workers.

My experience wearing them was during bad air days where it constantly smelled like a campfire no matter where we went. I remember breathing through a properly fitted N95 mask. Maybe it was smell of the material, but it no longer smelled like a campfire.

But yeah these things are difficult to find these days. I have a single 3M 8210 mask and I'm not sure what to do with it. My wife ordered a set of medical style masks. I guess those are designed to just stop droplets in either direction, but it's not like there's a tight fit ensuring that almost all air I breathe passes through the material.

 

[kiddo76]

Easy no-sew DIY mask from a bandana.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

I bought some masks from a bedding company that is also donating masks to healthcare workers with every purchase.

 

[Imzadi]

ABC News posted a video by a NYC bus driver, who tweeted, I guess, how he was driving when some guy got on, stood and coughed several times near him, without covering his mouth in any way. No covering with his hand or coughing in his elbow. And certainly no mask. Four days later, the bus driver developed Coronavirus symptoms and now is dead.

Just cover your face with something. Think of it as coughing into your sleeve. Only, you are talking and breathing through it too.

 

[Sjm9911]

Medical facilities haven't regularly received orders in the last two months....not just n95

Its the overseas version ,kn95. They were ordered a while ago. Most medical facilities will not use them as they are not osha certified. Some are counterfit, as i suspect my cancled order was last week. They were shipped.

 

[JimMIA]

My experience wearing them was during bad air days where it constantly smelled like a campfire no matter where we went. I remember breathing through a properly fitted N95 mask. Maybe it was smell of the material, but it no longer smelled like a campfire.

But yeah these things are difficult to find these days. I have a single 3M 8210 mask and I'm not sure what to do with it. My wife ordered a set of medical style masks. I guess those are designed to just stop droplets in either direction, but it's not like there's a tight fit ensuring that almost all air I breathe passes through the material.

Keep the 8210 obviously. You don't know IF you'll get the lighter masks...or when. I ordered some medical masks, and they have shipped, but they still won't be here for almost a month.