Which face mask?

[WattsandAwl]

I'm looking on Amazon and Ebay, and I can't work out which are worth buying.

Any tips, please?

Thank you.

None. They don’t work but a sheet mask is lovely for glowing skin.

None of them will be worth buying. A bog-standard surgical face mask is basically useless after about ten minutes, and the more sophisticated ones which can actually block droplets need to be carefully fitted to make sure they are working effectively. Plus wearing them is only half the battle, if you don’t know how to remove them properly you’re just increasing your risk because you could transfer any microbes from the outside of the mask to your face. Then there’s a fact that there’s a shortage of PPE at the moment for the people who actually need it, ie medical staff looking after unwell patients, so buying them up is actually pretty selfish to be honest.

You’re better off washing your hands thoroughly and practicing social distancing as much as you can.

None . Just got ash your hands .

Just wash your hands

The message that face masks don’t work should have filtered through surely?

Or are you being goady?

You could make one with an old pair of knickers and some string?

No, I'm not being goady. I'm just concerned for the safety of my children and DH who works in London and other crowded situations.

He laughed when I told him I'm ordered him one, so the message has got through to him.

PM sent.

Saying masks don't work is a misdemeanor. They might not stop you breathing in air-born particles but they do stop you getting the virus on your hands and then touching your face.

It's too late to be thinking of buying a mask now anyway. I'm lucky to enough to have a dust mask from when I painted my house last year, but Amazon and places like B&Q and Halfords are already sold out.

I've bought one.
It's not for my sake, but for my DM's, who has quite bad COPD.
The coronavirus would in all likelihood kill her if she caught it, so I'm not taking any risks if I go to see her. (I work in a school, so I believe I'm at a higher risk of catching it than most people.)
I'll probably scare the shit out of her unless I warn her first!

A mask rated PP3 or PP2 will work and they are available in shops like screwfix for their actual price (around £2 for a pair). You can also buy a reusable respirator with changeable filters.

Just google for videos explaining how to use them, for gods sake - it’s not magic! It’s extremely extremely simple. They can also be reused many times as long as you don’t contaminate the inside by touching it with nonsterile hands.

These mask are exactly the same as medical staff use in hospital and even without being fitted would offer good casual protection, provided you don’t work with sick people :)

@mineofuselessinformation

I totally agree!

If things like masks, gloves, aprons, face shields and body suits didn't work HCPs wouldn't be wearing them.

People are so quick to believe the government isn't doing enough yet believe them when they say masks don't work. Ever thought they want people to believe that because we have a limited amount of PPE and we need to keep them for our NHS? They don't want people panic buying them like we've seen with toilet roll.

To all those saying they don't work, why do all the people in Asian countries wear masks when there are serious epidemics? Are they all wrong?

But just to say - if you are healthy you don’t really need it. If you aren’t you do and it’s a shame you weren’t issued one by the government.

To all those saying they don't work, why do all the people in Asian countries wear masks when there are serious epidemics? Are they all wrong?

Yes. There may be some benefit in wearing one if you have symptoms and don’t want to spread the virus, but they are not effective for healthy people trying to avoid infection.

They might not stop you breathing in air-born particles but they do stop you getting the virus on your hands and then touching your face.

Except if you have the virus on your hands and then you take off the mask incorrectly, you’re spreading the virus to your face.

I work in a hospital and there are very strict procedures for both putting on and removing PPE, because if you do it incorrectly you’re just increasing your risk.

Stop spamming the boards Palma. Reported.

Masks make an 80% difference to your chance of catching it according to this WHO backed study:

www.livescience.com/face-masks-eye-protection-covid-19-prevention.html

I get that masks have to be removed really carefully, and worn carefully, to give full protection (so no fiddling with them, taking them off and on, pulling them down to scratch your nose etc).
But the potential virus that might have splashed onto the mask would have splashed onto your face if the mask weren't there. So as long as you just remove it by the ears (which most people are very capable of doing), store and wash it carefully if it's a cotton fabric one, or wrap and dispose of it very carefully, then it sounds like a great idea - especially if you don't have symptoms, as it seems to do best in stopping you spreading it to others, rather than the other way round.

It makes sense that the government wouldn't want everyone to buy up all the stock when they couldn't provide medical staff with enough, but it sounds insane to think they don't work at all, or are more dangerous for the vast majority of people. Elsewhere they are handed out at train stations and so on. We're so far behind in tackling this thing.

duffel please read this article again. The chance of infection is about 17% without a mask and 3% with a mask. Mask wearing reduces the risk from 17% to 3%. The headline is misleading. It also states that social distancing by 1m reduces the risk to 3%. So social distancing gives the same reduction as wearing a mask. Reinforcing the message that you should wear a mask if you cannot maintain 1 m of social distancing. Also suggests that schools may benefit from masks.
The author also issues a disclaimer re limited research available.
As someone who wears a mask to work in, the science behind the effectiveness of masks has always been weak. We are better protected by visors.

Shapps has just announced that face coverings will be mandatory on public transport.

Yep face covering from 15th June on pt

Just become mandatory on public transport from 15th June. Can be refused entry to transport and I think he said there could be penalties.

@knittingaddict Why was that spamming knittingaddict?

The poster's question clearly asks which mask. Can't help it if you don't know good information when you see it.

It's disastrous. You're right in that the public shouldn't take away resources from health workers.

My friend who works in the NHS was explaining that they only use N95 and Type iiR. So disposable face masks and KN95 are actually used by the public abroad and could be made available for the public? Tbh, the public have been very inventive! I've seen proper gas masks being used too!

Shame there is little clarity on this from the government...