Will you be wearing a mask?

Grannysyb exactly that's what I found when I was queing for the chemist! And I find it more difficult than ever to hear what people are saying as I must lip read to a certain extent!

I think my local pharmacist is hoping for extra early retirement because along with his overpriced hand sanitisers and packs of disinfectant cloths each disposable mask is £3. I do not think so.

There are plenty in stock on Amazon

Crafty one
Agree totally. Masks are useless and actually dangerous as they offer false protection
We are terrified and confused and as a society are using the ability to think rationally

I mean losing the ability to think rationally!

My dh and i have been wearing a snood for weeks and will carry on doing so.
What`s there to loose.

They offer false reassurance
The virus passes through them
They hold the virus and then you touch the mask(or whatever you use)
Not good, and the science just isn’t there to prove their use

If I dont get a waxing, facial and a hairdo soon I shall be wearing a balaclava and goggles.

At the moment I just wear disposable gloves. However, I saw a lady shopping wearing gloves the other day. When she had finished shopping, she removed the gloves and then pushed the trolley to her car - surely she should have kept the gloves on until she got into her car!!!

no, I suffer with claustrophobia

I'm in the shielding group so not going anywhere except my eye clinic for injections.
I did however buy myself some masks several weeks ago, reusable and with a respiratory valve and I wear one plus a pair of latex gloves when I go to the clinic.
I don't believe this stuff about them not doing any good, I think any face covering is better than nothing and have always thought so. Now it seems I may be right.
If you can't get masks now because of the demand there are tutorials on YouTube for making your own, not as good but still better than nothing.

I have been wearing a mask and will keep wearing one till we are all vaccinated ! Why are they of no use if the NHS staff all wear them to prevent giving or getting an infection?

craftyone

You are right about viruses being able to get through the fabric of cloth masks, but ….

A photon is similar to an electron, which is a tiny (negligible) part of an atom.

A virus is made of largish proteins made, of amino acid molecules, made of dozens of atoms.

The scientific assessments have shown masks to be of some, but rather limited, use in protecting the wearer but do reduce the range of travel of exhaled breaths, and so the chance of other people breathing any virus particles in the breath, being inhaled by bystanders.

World Economic Forum assessment of masks:

Masks have a compounding effect in that they both protect an individual from transmitting and being exposed to infection. The impact of this could, conceivably, be a dramatic reduction of R0. If we are to assume masks are 80% effective in preventing spread on an individual basis, the overall risk-reduction in a single interaction between two people should be 96%. If we are to be conservative and assume that low compliance and mask-quality reduce individual risk by 50% instead of 80%, the overall risk reduction within a single interaction between two people is 75%.

Better safe than sorry and not make a fuss.

I have made my own mask and masks for all my family, 10 in all. They are made from 2 pieces of fabric each 9 in x 6 in, and two pieces of elastic to go over the ears. They are easy to make especially if you have a sewing machine but could be made by hand. Look on line you'll find a number of people showing you how to make them. I enjoyed making them but I'm not sure if anyone has actually worn one outside yet, except me.

Yes I will!!! Definitely! The reason being that they stop coughs and sneezes spreading by infectious people. That is the point, not to protect yourself especially but to cut down spread by people who are unknowingly infected. I have made 26 so far for friends and family, as we come out of lockdown l think they will be more necessary and many countries are doing this

HannahLoisLuke why on earth do you wear a pair of latex gloves to the clinic when you are having your wet macular injected? Washing your hands is more than adequate- are you washing your hands when washing the gloves? I doubt it.

Rumtumtoby there are various types of masks worn in hospital- the usual ones last around 2 minutes whereas there are others of medical quality used by ITU staff caring for Covid19 patients. These last longer but are still disposable.

Living in Spain most people have worn them since our lockdown. I will continue to wear one after the lockdown ends.
Im not really interested in what WHO says I feel better wearing one and my gloves. And I’m very careful about cross contamination when getting back into my car.
I think people will do what makes them feel comfortable. Truly believe that if masks were readily available Spain would make the wearing of such compulsory.

If masks do become available to all and it become mandatory to wear one well yes. Unless you have one of the super duper filtering types then they don't stop a virus getting to you but it stops the wearer spreading to others. Together with hand washing the risk will be lessened moving about surely.

The paper surgical masks are no good. You need the ones with the FFP3 filter system but those are probably hard to get now.
The ones I bought before all the panic are made by 3M and only FFP1 and I also have a FFP2 which is for DIY work to protect from fine dust etc.
However as I've said before any mask isbetter than no mask in my opinion.
In reply to grannysyb you have to pinch the metal strip over the bridge if your nose to get a close fit and to stop your glasses steaming up.
My daughter, who is a theatre nurse told me that.

My DH, who is 70, went to the supermarket as he didn't want to put other people in danger doing our shopping. He did feel very vulnerable as people were not taking the social distancing seriously. DH sister sent him two packets of face masks from USA, (made in China) because they don't need them (according to DT) and now he feels safer. We are sending the second packet of mask to all family members, especially those working on the front line.
The nurses and doctors in the family are telling us to wear masks or at least cover our faces when outside. They know more then anyone what is going on and I for one trust them and will listen to their advice more then the government's, who is proving they don't have a clue.

I think from a physiological perspective, the government should tell the nation to wear masks because they are helping to save people's lives by preventing the virus from spreading, and masks are a visible indication that everyone was doing their bit. In WW11 gas masks were given to every citizen, thankfully they were not needed but the nation had to carry them everywhere just in case.

The government has not issued face masks because they have none,and I suspect no money to pay for them. The only thing they have plenty supply of is bullsxxx and their fantastical answers. Demonstrating once and for all that they certainly do not show any respect to the NHS, for the last ten years and now they are found wanting.
So please if you are out and about, just wear a mask of any kind, if it is not for you , then do it for front line workers before it is too late for them.

Sorry to confuse everybody. Having said the paper disposable masks are no good, they are still better than nothing.
Just remember to always pinch the strip over the bridge of your nose.

Masks are so easy and cheap to make, even from a tea towel, it is not beyond the wit of man to improvise with things around the house.

I have made them for all the family and have just answered a call from our Maire for people to make them. I am waiting for a delivery from the commune with all the materials to make them expecting to be deluged as I admitted to being a professional couturiere! This where France scores as things are run regionally and even our tiny village has a Mairie, things get monitored and done under this system.

Yes

I won't be wearing a mask anytime soon unless it becomes compulsory.