Face mask questions

[Roobarb]

I haven't had to do any shopping as my friend has kindly been doing it for me as I'm asthmatic. I'm not sure how I would cope with wearing a mask, the only time I was in hospital I'd apparently had an oxygen mask on. I assume that's what it was, the nurse came in and commented that I'd pulled the mask off. The only other time I can recall wearing a mask was when a friend was having a joke about me being in the company of a number of smokers when on holiday. She gave me a mask to put on so she could take a photo (no, it wasn't really funny  ), I couldn't wait to get the mask off. Things like that tend to make me a bit panicky, I'd have to find some way to get over that if they were made compulsory.

[pharmaT]

If you look on eBay you will find lots of masks for sale at various prices, it would appear the NHS is the only organistion having problems getting them. How good they are is a different matter. Personally unless we are forced to wear them I will not bother. I also will not bother with gloves because you can touch an infected surface and transfer it to your face just as easily with gloves on or off, they give a false sense of security

The ones used in the NHS have to meet certain standards, fluid resistant, level of filtering etc.  They're worn to protect the wearer from a high viral load as they're being worn to have very close contact with very ill people.  You cannot auscultate someone's chest, wash them, connect up a drip etc from a 2m distance.

The masks people would wear to go to the shop are designed in the main to prevent the wearer from spreading it to others so can be of a lower spec.  Each person would be protected by everyone else wearing masks.  Add in that people you meet at the shops etc are likely to be clinically well unlike someone in a hospital bed requiring all care.

The masks worn in the NHS are not washable and renewable.  They go through a lot because infection control procedures require that they be changed regularly.  This is because they must be removed to go for a break, you cannot eat and drink with a mask on.  Much as some people would like it it is not safe for staff to work 12.5 hrs without drinking.  They are so flimsy the break very easily sometimes moving is enough.  That is scary when it happens when working with a coughing, spluttering patient.  They must be also changed between patients because once you have worked with a patient the outer layer of the mask is considered contaminated and a risk to others.

[ms_canuck]

One of our large grocery stores here (Longo's) has just announced on their Facebook page that as of May 4th, they will require all shoppers to wear masks in their stores.  I don't shop with them anyway, as they are too expensive.  But if I did, this would make me think twice about continuing to shop there.  Needless to say the comments are both in favour of, and vehemently opposed to, this decision. 

I honestly hope my grocery store doesn't follow suit, but if it does, then I may have no choice.  Apparently, masks (paper) are to be offered to those without one.

Our Medical Officer of Health was not supportive of masks initially, but has recently said they may be useful where physical distancing is not possible, e.g. transit and stores.  So this supports Longo's decision.



Cheers all

Ms_C

[ThrelfallYorky]

That's rather the point, isn't it? I believe in some areas of Italy, households are being issued, via the letterbox, with a (small) supply of face masks. If people are going to demand that one wears a mask, then they should be prepared to provide them, surely?

[LizzieL]

People are required to provide their own in Germany.
Baden Wurttemberg state website has links to instructions to make your own. I've made two from Burda pattern.

https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/alle-meldungen/meldung/pid/auch-einfache-masken-helfen/

[Treetotal]

If push comes to shove and it is enforced, I'll put a bag over my head, nobody will notice the difference, especially if it's creased 
Carol

[BumbleB]

Stupid thought 

We are encouraged to wear a face mask BUT we are also advised NOT to touch our face 

I am currently attending my local GP practice to have a dressing changed on a weekly basis.  The nurses are wearing masks, but then have to constantly re-arrange them.  They both wear glasses and so the wearing of the mask means that glasses steam up, and because they have to talk to me, the mask moves as well.

@Treetotal - you could wear the mask I observed the other day - a length of tubular bandage   

[ThrelfallYorky]

That also might be the limit of my own "making skills", I'm afraid, a tubular bandage. I'd never imagined Burda would have a pattern for it, anyway.

[pharmaT]

Stupid thought 

We are encouraged to wear a face mask BUT we are also advised NOT to touch our face 

I am currently attending my local GP practice to have a dressing changed on a weekly basis.  The nurses are wearing masks, but then have to constantly re-arrange them.  They both wear glasses and so the wearing of the mask means that glasses steam up, and because they have to talk to me, the mask moves as well.

@Treetotal - you could wear the mask I observed the other day - a length of tubular bandage   

They probably have the same style of masks that we have, they are ridiculously flimsy and regularly fall off.