sciencetimes.com/articles/2...
Wearing face coverings has made a difference - at least 78,000 fewer infections in Italy and 66,000 in New York City. Which is multiple thousands fewer deaths.
If you are worried about going out - wear a face covering as well as keeping away from other people, buying a medical standard mask is obviously better.
I'm not really advertising these and they aren't cheap but if it sets you free:
And maybe - push this research so others know about it.
Thanks PMRpro. Have sent link to my family. I made a few double layer cotton ones into which you can insert piece of coffee filter or kitchen roll but wonder how efficient they are. I found if I used 3 layers of cotton it was difficult to breathe! These ones do mention โbreathableโ and if theyโre officially supplied to police, must be good
My thought exactly - not cheap but not sure how much the disposable ones are in comparison.
I bought a pack of disposable ones at first then - after reading more, I bought several washable, two layer with inserts. The thicker ones are more comfortable to wear but you get very warm - and awful if you have to wear glasses/sun glasses. We were asked to leave the medical ones for those working with people who were affected by the virus. I think things have settled down a bit now and most types are available.
Just throwing your money away on disposable ones, if you can't make your own masks that you can wash, then its best to invest in a good quality mask that will last. Myself and my daughter have made several masks for ourselves and family members. 3 layers ( cotton against the face, then a cloth with a mesh backing and front piece of the person's choice )
I have 6 good quality masks (3 each) (you have to wash them)! They were recommended by my doctor.
I bought a pack of 20 disposable ones when I had a very heavy cold (before the virus) to protect my husband and daughter. I just use them up if I am going into the bank - in and out in 6 minutes). Very strict distancing!
Good morning PMRpro
Try this reliable test.
Put your mask on, hold a lite candle or just a match in front.
Blow hard through the mask, like you would if you cough.
If the flame flickers, then the mask is not reliable...it means your germs are escaping.
There are a lot of cheap surgical masks on the market, so just be careful.
Hope this is helpful. ( just be careful with the flame)
YuliK. ๐ท
๐น๐น๐น๐น
Thanks for the info, I would like to get reusable masks , and like Rache have made a cotton one but am not sure how effective it is. This product looks good but I can find no details of the company selling it which makes me somewhat suspicious, there is not even mention of which country they are in. Do you know if they are reliable by any chance?
Thatโs a good point. The company seems to be based in England and is a new company set up in May. Canโt find any reviews of the masks. One of the directors was interviewed on Sky but she mainly talked generally about reusable being more eco friendly than disposable. Assume the masks must be imported. Will try and find out more.
We've tried and found another interview where they claimed to give one to an NHS worker for everyone sold, which would explain why they were expensive. Ir that were the case you'd think they'd say on their site.
There were photos of a group of NHS workers wearing the masks but the accompanying write up made clear they were just for wearing to and from work. Iโm always suspicious, maybe wrongly in this case - donโt know!
They were featured on Sky News last week - the video is further down the page, after the bloke on the Underground. The company is the distributor in the UK:
OceanView Masks, Grove House 55 Lowlands Road, Harrow, HA1 3AW, United Kingdom.
oceanviewmasks.com/pages/vp...
I imagine the masks are produced in Vietnam since they are issued to government staff.
sustainhealth.fit/lifestyle...
Thanks that's the first mention I've seen of an address. We can find no reviews sadly. Nearly every other make we have investigated has had bad reviews and it appears that a lot of scammers are jumping on the band wagon, not surprisingly! It would be good to think this was genuine.
It isn't the best laid out site - you get the other info by clicking on the 3 bars at the top left.
Yes I did find that eventually. I hope they are genuine we need something like this, and helping NHS workers. We found their facebook page too.
My only concern is the nano particles of silver.. put I guess they should stay in the mask?..says me who just google and found the bandaid I am wearing with silver has nanoparticles! nanoparticles in general are considered to be dangerous due to cell damage I think, but they are some good uses in medicine I know they were working out like targeting drugs to specific sites.
Possibly the environmental damage from the nanoparticles of silver buildup may be the worst effect ssciencedaily.com/releases/2...
if you are washing them.
I looked up and Vietnam is making medical grade masks for expert now they stockpile is topped up.
I purchased on the the UK Cambridge masks N99 back in January, but it is hot and does not seal that well, despite buying a child size to fit my face . The ear elastics are too thick for starters , it is hot..and not a tight enough fit but I've been wearing it for convenience..and to block out some of the oil when cooking too. I wouldn't recommend them though., and I read someone else on here found them uncomfortable too. They were made in England and supposed to be military quality. N95 doesn't block the oil at all. I have some medical N95 disposable masks purchsased for smoke and they work for that and I also do rewear them, and so far they still seem to block the smoke. I do leave all masks outside in the sun for at least two weeks to attempt to sterilize (they are peeged on y back verandah)! but I've only been using them for unpacking the shopping left on the front verandah or opening the mail after a few days or the bi-monthly blood test trip to the doctors.
I still have some of the 3M P95 masks I purchased back in mid Dec for the bushfire smoke but they are now are out of stock as I'm sure everyone has found with other masks
worksafegear.com.au/3m-p2-a...
they have also risen a lot in price!
and the round 3M N95 ones also out of stock too...also risen in price. these male or larger female faces but gap on me under the chin and rise too high so interfere with vision..but perfect fit for an adult male...if they ever come back into stock.
Someone on here recommended a mask earlier that was comfortable but I con't find the post...still those Vietnam ones should work.
"I looked up and Vietnam is making medical grade masks for expert now they stockpile is topped up."
Those are the ones being imported and distributed by oceanview.com which is the link in the post above.
The N95 (or whatever number) are only effective when they are fitted - medical staff must have a fitting session so they have the right size and put them on correctly.
I fear you will struggle to avoid silver nanoparticles these days - but keeping them to where they are needed helps. And I imagine 30 disposable masks in the ocean is far worse than the nanoparticles from one mask.
Done
Had already ordered a silk type mask, as I found that the standard one, which the carers are using, I was unable to breathe, so I had to keep lifting the bottom up..............the Nurses said that people with ticker problems !!!!
So willing to try this, saved me a problem hunting. xx
Here in Maine in the states, it is required now that things have opened a bit. A small store might only let 5 people in at a time, and they have to be masked. Sadly some people refuse to wear them and it is based on their political beliefs, and there is nothing political about the virus. Places like Walmart will let 100 in at a time and people line up outside and wait their turn, I am told. I've not mixed with any crowds. (just once that I can't talk about)
Personally, I believe they make a difference. Now that more states are opening and people are gathering many states are seeing their cases climb. Dr. Anthony Fauci, my personal rock, says wear one at all times. There is only one person who has entered my apartment. I live near the end of an apartment building and some friends have walked around the end of the building and we sit on the patio. Once we are settled 6-8feet apart, we will take the masks off.
In our county, we cannot have any gatherings over 10 people, so no church. I've become a real Zoom fan~!
Have a good weekend all. xo๐
PS I'm sure you girls have seen all the videos on YouTube to make your own masks. It is fun...just simple double layer and pleat them. I give them to friends and would give them to all of you if you were closer.xo
The ordinary masks protect others from you - these should protect you from others, they are the same designation as the ones the hospital staff use to protect themselves.
I do have two of those, one with a removable hepa filter. The fit over the nose is great! Especially when you have a prominent one...like myself.๐๐ป๐๐
Iโm having a go and will report back. Bit worried about the candle test - May go up in flames ๐
I've made several dozen of these. I use an A5 envelope as a template and pleat 3 times, and add elastic loops for the ears. They're fairly comfortable and don't slip.
Thanks for that tip about using the envelope as a template! That is a great idea.
I watched one of those YouTube videos and she said to cut pieces 9 by 6 inches and I thought to myself that it sounded about like an A5 envelope, and it is near enough (whatever the metric equivalent is these days)
When I lost some of my sight last year I gave away so much...as months passed the world got much brighter. I gave away all of my cutting mats~!! The envelope is a great shortcut for me!! My grandchildren are Canadian/American so I've picked up some metric...usually, they help me out. xo
If everyone is wearing a non-medical mask we are protecting each other. Here medical grade masks are in short supply and reserved for medical staff. We are being told that medical grade is usually only necessary in circumstances where more and finer droplets are produced, as when a patient is being intubated for example.
Hubby and I wear handsewn (not by us) fabric masks. when we are in any public enclosed space. We are in a "household bubble" with my older son and his girlfriend so we don't wear masks when with them. My younger son is in a bubble with relatives of his girlfriend so when he came over to help his father with a computer problem we all wore masks.
I wash the mask I've been wearing as soon as I take it off.
This may seem lax to you you but where I live there have been no new cases of covid for several days, four active cases in the entire province. (We've had over 1000 cases altogether and about 60 deaths, most in one long term care facility.) Physical distancing is still required everywhere (including recently reopened restaurants) except in cases where it's impossible (e.g. a haircut or physio) in which case both parties must be wearing masks, and that has only recently been allowed again.
In the UK we have been told to wear โface coveringsโ in certain circumstances - public transport, enclosed places etc - but not all the time.
The message to the general public is not to buy medical quality masks - as this could deplete the supply for those who really need them - like Canada.
I think there is also a concern that if people wear masks they will no longer think itโs necessary to socially distance in any circumstance.
Yes, I agree. And the disturbing number of people we see on tv - the protests for example - who are wearing them incorrectly, like with their noses uncovered, or hanging around below their chins so they can shout!
In my humble opinion.... Too many places in the states open way too fast. Sadly it has become a political statement whether to mask or not. Even in observing the protesters the political identification is clear.
My family in Nova Scotia is also sharing a bubble which I think is wonderful. My daughter-in-law's sister is a chiropractor who just opened this past week in Dartmouth.
We still do not gather for church or any groups over 10 in the state of Maine. I mask up anytime I am around individuals I don't know, and they do the same. I have a few friends who visit Outdoors on the patio during these sunny days.
The state of Maine has had more than double the numbers experienced in Nova Scotia and folks are still cautious... Not everybody of course. You have to protect yourself. xo
I don't think they've actually told us we must wear masks except in certain specific circumstances, but it seems to be a given now that people are. I think it's been helpful here, and I expect in Maine and similarly sensible jurisdictions, that the long strict lockdown trained the majority of people in new ways of behaving. Let's hope we don't become too complacent too quickly.
I'm unfortunately becoming awfully used to behaving like a semi-invalid what with these various foot and knee problems. I haven't even tried to go for a walk since Wednesday when I was allowed to "unlock" the knee hinge and discovered the wretched knee brace slips. It doesn't fit my leg properly. I went on Thursday to have it adjusted and whatever they did caused my thigh to be severely pinched, and yet it would unfasten while I was sitting down! Managed to adjust that myself yesterday because I couldn't stand it any more. But I think I'm simply too thin for the style of brace the doctor told them to fit me with. And it wasn't cheap. Wish I had kept the one used when I had a tibial plateau fracture a few years ago, but at the time all I wanted to do was to get it out of the house. I really think I'm suffering a mild case of PTSD because I'm awfully sensitive to everything these days.
I totally understand...I have to work at being 'on the upside' most of the time. Sounds like the brace sure is giving you some issues. At this point of my life....being too thin for anything would never be an issue...๐
Our world is being turned upside down and I think many feel they have no control anymore. I think being super-sensitive to the bumps in our life is natural....I sure hope so because that is what I'm telling myself...it seems to be working.
Indulge yourself. What do you want to do? and go ahead and do it. With all this time I found a great recipe for a cake from scratch...and baked it. That hasn't happened in 15 years. I was just as proud and pleased with myself as if I had brought peace to the world. I highly recommend the feeling of the sun on your face and listening to the birds. xo
This year I am really missing having access to my old garden. And for so long while I was still mobile our parks were closed and the weather was still chilly anyway so I didn't want to sit outside. Now that the weather is nicer I haven't really been able to get anywhere. just suggested to hubby that when he's ready for his walk he take me out with him for a few minutes and I have a short walk on level ground, or as level as we can manage here on a city built on drumlins. 
Same here - masks have been compulsory but that is also being slowly reduced. It's a choice - face coverings are OK but you can get "proper" ones now as well. Hairdressers and restaurant/bar were to use medical grade but now it is just ordinary ones. There have been only a very few cases in the entire region for the last week or two - and 3 of them were Pakistanis who had just been home and brought it back with them.
But it will be back. See China today ...
It's a relief to see the pandemic die down if only for a while. Just after reading this post this morning I heard an item on our radio talking about the studies showing how social distancing and masks and other features of lockdown saved millions of people! It's opening up travel which worries me most. At least the border with the US is officially closed to non-essential travel for a few more weeks. I suppose fourteen day self-isolation of those coming into the country, or even moving province to province, will continue for the foreseeable future.
Further to my previous comments, Iโve sent for one of these masks. Will report back on how I find it.
My beliefs on mask wearing...I think the important thing to remember is that these masks donโt protect you from catching the virus from others who arenโt wearing one. They protect other people from you. From what you are breathing out. You wear one to protect them. They wear one to protect you. Imagine coughing into a hanky, the hanky will collect the germs...most of them. But some will get through. These face coverings have no fine filtration element to stop intake of fine particles. The important people to wear them are those who have Covid but no symptoms, or who have just caught it & will have symptoms in a few days. The more layers a mask has, the more effective it will be. Masks with changeable filters should give more protection than masks without any, FFP2 & FFP3 & NP95 masks will prevent inhalation of Covid, FFP3 being the best grade. But these are the masks we have been asked to โsaveโ for use in hospitals, doctorโs surgeries etc. We already had a small stock of FFP3 masks here, as we use masks each winter against the common cold (which I can turn into a two months disaster very easily). What you wear is a choice of how much protection you want/need to achieve. Keeping socially distanced is important, along with not touching the mask, your face etc. Good luck out there. (Please feel free to disagree with the above, if Iโm incorrect, but I believe itโs OK)!
The situation is changing as manufacturing catches up. The link I provided is for reusable masks that are CE Certified (Class 1 medical devices) but not the sort used in hospitals - they are supposed to keep out 98% of virus particles so must still be used together with lesser distancing and hygiene measures for optimum results - but they work both ways, for the person wearing it not infecting others as much as well as them being protected from others.
"The important people to wear them are those who have Covid but no symptoms, or who have just caught it & will have symptoms in a few days"
This is true - but since those people, nor anyone else, will not know who they are, the only effective way is for EVERYONE to wear a face covering whenever they are close to others. It has worked here even with the homemade variety we have had to wear when outdoors for weeks. Using these medical grade publicly available masks would seem to add an extra layer of protection for those of us with health concerns and shielding.
I agree, & my comments were meant to be more of a general help to people as I know many are already wearing single, or double, layer homemade cloth ones, & Iโve found quite a few folk who think those are protecting them 100% from catching Covid virus. Personally, I restocked our FFP 3 masks from a company 4 weeks ago when the PPE stocks were reported to be fine & everybody had them who needed them. If I need to go to the surgery where they have been treating Covid patients or a hospital appointment I will be wearing a FFP3 mask. But we havenโt been out for 113 days now, & no plans in sight, Iโm just getting prepared! (I worked for a microfiltration company for 22 years, so this subject is close to my heart!) S x
Mine were meant to be an addendum! The most worrying thing is that people may think they are protected - and why I really don't understand the gubmint not making non-medical face coverings compulsory! It really isn't much of an imposition - almost everyone who skis will wear one in the winter! Interestingly, I noticed a small child, possibly not even old enough to need to wear one, in our supermarket and he was wearing his properly. Unlike a lot of the adults!!!!
It's a bit like vaccination isn't it - you are doing something to protect other people. Like my husband who really struggles to breath with a face covering - but still wears one. No way he'd cope with the proper masks though.
Thanks for this PMRpro. I ordered right away. Mask wearing something needed for a long while yet on our overcrowded planet.
As someone who has been 95% shielded for the past 12 weeks, I did not feel the need for masks until recently, in anticipation of some increased social contact and a longed-for trip to the hairdresser. So I made a couple of different home-made reusable types but found it difficult to get a good close fit around nose and cheeks and also hard to breathe through several layers of close-weave cotton with a coffee-filter insert. I also realised that, as I only ever machine-wash at 30 degrees (for environmental reasons), I would not be able to clean them at 60 degrees as recommended without using a lot more electricity. So I decided on disposable masks but was perturbed that so many were not CE certified and were of very doubtful provenance on sites such as Amazon or eBay. Boots have now started selling (online) a variety of disposable masks in packs of 50 or more, and I trust Boots not to be depleting NHS supplies, so I shall be ordering from there. I shall keep a couple in clean plastic bags in my handbag and in the car. Should I feel the need to use one, I shan't take it off until I get home and can safely dispose of it and immediately wash my hands.
Even 60C isn't enough - they have found even boiling water doesn't kill it. Soap rules!
Can I effectively hand wash a cloth one? Maybe dry in the sun? Donโt know what to do. Have no washer/dryer. Thx.
I suspect you can - if soap and water does for hands it should also do for a mask surely.
Having roamed the interwebs - at least 2 infectious disease specialists agree! Wash in hot water and heavy duty detergent for at least 20 seconds with a scrubbing action. I leave mine to soak for a while too. Mine is hung on the drying rack on the balcony. I don't go out any more than I must!
๐ perfect. ๐ค
Yes, Iโm sure you can wash by hand. Pour boiling water over it first.
YuliK ๐ท
I thought boiling water for 20 minutes Kills most viruses and bacteria?, although I have read not all. Where does it say boiling water doesn't kill it..I've been making soups and stews and steamed veges thinking that made food safe (as wellas baking or frying). Somwhere I read over 70C for 10 minutes? that was early days though when they were going off similar corona viruses? Thatw would mean those putting masks at low tempsin the oven..it wouldn't work for sterilisation? I still believe , but nothing but what seems to be happening to prove it that those hot , intense sunlight UV , 45C to 55C days with low humidity dry days like in Outback Australia and winds from them did kill the virus with the heat and drying and UV light or whatever in sunlight may kill em if intense enough.. just frizzled them! But maybe I'm doing a TRump here...hope not! So everyone I cannot prove this but so far itseems to be holding. Also my Husband goes around and hits parcels with his heat gun to kill the viruses... Freezing OTOH like in the snow and in the freezer would preserve the viurs for years or decades . (scientists keep viruses in freezers ..like they keep the SAR 1 virus in freezers .. as far as I know just usual freezers). So I think ski resorts would spread the virus well as it would not die off much outside at all.. that said i do raise it's the crowds and direct contact thru droplets or direct air transmission. Just maybe there is a lot on the surface or remaining in the air in this transmission as well? I still don not know....but it still fits.
I bought quite a few disposable masks some time ago, they are too thin so I wear two at a time with a filter between them. They fit really well but I wouldn't like to wear them for long - too hot!
Cross stitcher good afternoon
My friend puts her homemade mask ๐ท in her microwave for a minute. ( after itโs washed at 30c and still damp)she reckons this kills all germs.
YuliK ๐ท
๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
This website was blocked by my virus checker.
10 days ago I was unknowingly exposed to covid-19. However, at the meeting we both agreed to wear our masks. I am so far symptom-free which is a good thing since I have lung disease. Masks saves lives. But you're not just wearing the mask to protect yourself you're wearing the mask to protect the people you are around.
I wear a mask to protect myself AND others, but mainly to protect myself now that I've been isolating for months I can't see how I can have it at present, but I guess one never knows..very miniscule could have blown in on the air or fallen from the stratosphere...unlikely as yet so don't worry! (sciencedaily.com/releases/2...)
My belief is it WORKS BOTH WAYS. It is also my belief it political propaganda put out by our various health depts, saying it does not protect for a couple of reasons..
1. to stop the run on masks when the health system needs are far greater and
2. to stop people feeling they are protected so do not need to social distance and can carry on with no restrictions..like go to clubs etc in crowds.
masks are not 100% effective in both directions.. there are however partly effective.
with smoke an N95 mask cuts about 95% of the smoke. It would cut less of the virus. These are the ones the hospitals wear if they can get them. Let's assume your mask will cut say 40% to 80% with social distancing..that's on top of the social distancing. say it cuts half. I take half as better then nothing. that doubles my chance of safety. My doctor wears a very tight-fitting N95 mask with a cloth mask on top..that way he only washes the cloth mask and changes them frequently... one can do this with the disposable masks as well. i thought about getting them but others found they do not least long. What I have been doing is hanging outside in the sun for 3 to 4 weeks or so..and hope that kills any virus and re-using. aof course if someone coughed on me or got too close and breathed on me I would dispose of it. I can't say this works though I assume after 3 or 4 weeks in the sun all that should be left is dead-virus..which may just vaccinate me if I'm lucky! So far I haven't been exposed to any virus though that I know of. Hope this is OK to post as I do not want to mislead anyone. BTW any covering even a scarf or balaclava in the snow will cut down some of the virus and will prevent some transmission perhaps more.
In case anyone, including Lin, reads this - the carbon dioxide story is just that, a story, so do not worry about it. I'm not listening to fake news, I have a medical science degree and worked in healthcare for years. Carbon dioxide is a gas, it will diffuse out of the mask - if it didn't all our healthcare staff would be permanently ill as they wear masks all day in theatre, or as dentistry staff. So would all the tradesmen who also wear N95 masks to protect themselves from dust particles.
The virus CAN spread through air - it doesn't jump but it does remain suspended in the air for some distance and that is why keeping away from someone who is infected helps reduce your risk. You don't know who is infected so you assume everyone is for safety. That was the entire point of the research I gave the link for.
And masks DO make a difference. I did my research - and took scientifically sound approaches and conclusions as my guide.
They reckon the virus can stay in the air up to 14 minutes after someone has sneezed or coughed.
I have advised my daughter for months not to let her teenagers exercise outside without a mask.
Source ๐
technologyreview.com/2020/0...
YuliK ๐ท
Can we stop using the word "germs"? Covid 19 is caused by a virus.
When food goes bad, that is caused by either fungi (moulds, yeasts) or bacteria. Both of these micro-organisms are living cells, which means they can be killed (made completely harmless) by heating at 70 degrees Centigrade for 10 minutes, or at boiling for 1 minute.
Viruses, on the other hand, are NOT living organisms. They cannot be "killed". They can remain inactive (but still infectious) on surfaces for a long time. Deep cleaning will remove them onto the cloths which are then disposed of, as will thorough washing with soap and water. Using "anti-bacterial" hand sanitisers or cleaners do not, in themselves, inactivate the virus, just help to remove them. It is thought that some viruses can be made less infectious (or "weakened") by some chemicals or by UV light. They only start growing and multiplying when they enter a living cell such as in your throat lining or lungs. There are some "anti-viral" drugs but they are expensive and, so far, have not proved very effective against the Covid virus.
If your reusable face mask gets any of the virus on either the inside or the outside, and you do not immediately remove the virus particles by thorough soap-and-water washing, there is a risk you could get it on your hands the next time you put the mask on and then infect yourself by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Soap is important, not because it "kills" the virus, but because it reduces the surface tension of the water which makes it easier to rinse away the virus particles. And warm water makes the soap or detergent more soluble. Thus, whether you wash at 30, 60 or boiling is fairly immaterial - it is the thoroughness of the washing, rinsing and drying which is important.
My understanding is the coronavirus has a lipid outer membrane which is dissolved by soap. sciencefocus.com/news/coron...
Thank you for this link, it is helpful. I did not know about the lipid bilayer, and it does explain why hand-sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol can also deactivate the virus so that it cannot infect humans. I assume that when you see footage of people in full white hazard suits spraying liquid all over seats and other surfaces in public spaces, they are spraying an alcohol solution also. However, I still think a lot of people are confused by viruses and assume that an ordinary anti-bacterial spray (such as Dettol) is enough to "kill" (or deactivate) viruses.
I must say it is interesting to learn more about viruses. I have a theory, however, that viruses ARE "alive" and the confusion arises from our definition of "life". We defined life based on our observation of what we knew. Now we know about viruses and they don't fit the definition. Just means the universe is, as has been said, "...the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose."
J.B.S. Haldane
Think they are also sometimes bleach solutions - but there isn't much evidence about how effective they are and it doesn't last. Local companies here have adapted snow cannons (for making artificial snow) to do large areas quickly ...
Then there are the "vapour" approaches being used in public transport overnight in various places - they are said to coat surfaces with an anti-viral layer that is effective for up to a month - I assume trials of this sort of stuff with nanoparticles:
hospimedica.com/covid-19/ar...
I found this rather interesting article regarding Covid19 and germs
timesnownews.com/health/art...
YuliK ๐ท
sorry
Preds and Covid-19
๏ปฟcovid related or PMR
COVID 19 and treatment 
