So we should wear masks

[alloutoffucks]

Initially we were told that masks were a waste of time. Now we are told that masks do provide some benefit.

Probably, but By the time you would get one shipped at the mo it would probs be redundant

This has been clear to.me for some time but I have been slapped down so often for saying it on MN that I have given up now

To be clear, I don't think masks ( particularly surgical ones, which are the only ones the public are most likely to have access to ) stop you getting the virus personally. I do.think that IN ADDITION to things like hand washing and social distancing they probably add to the reducing of transmission risk at a population level. I think they probably cut the risk of asymptomatic people passing it on. However everyone has to wear one whenever they go out for this to work.

Saying that masks aren't worn properly is not a good enough reason to not recommended them. We don't say most people.don:t wash their hands well enough and so don't bother. We give instructions. and have campaigns about how it do it properly

Only the N95 respirator masks , properly fitted by an expert will protect you from the virus. Any gap at all that breaks the seal around the nose and mouth , will render it useless. Male nurses and doctors have had to shave their beards off in order to achieve a perfect seal. The blue paper masks may protect others from you, if you cough or sneeze, but, once they become damp from your breath, they are useless and should be binned in accordance with good hygiene practice. Also, touching possibly infected surfaces, then touching the mask will render it useless. When taking the mask off, it’s very important to only touch the bits over your ears, not the mask itself.
Wearing gloves in public also a waste of time, as people touch many possibly infected surfaces, transferring any virus as they go.
Best advice remains the same. Don’t touch your face, social distancing and wash your hands.

Now we are told that masks do provide some benefit.

Who is telling us this?

This morning the news one saying one study showed it may have a small benefit but only certain types, most wont. And that it often makes people feel too safe that they reduce other things like washing hands, social distancing etc

Not seen the study. So not sure.

Actually, I think the opposite is true: it does not make you reduce other measures, it is a visible reminder that the outside environment is not safe and therefore we need to wash our hands and practise social distancing.

I've been saying masks are effective all along otherwise why would so many people wear them?

Thankfully I managed to get hold of a P3 mask before they were all panic bought.

Reckon it's the best £20 I've ever spent in recent times.

@randomschoolworker
I have a similar one. They will ( if used properly) significantly cut your risk of catching Corona virus. It won't howevr provide as much protection to other people to stop them catching it from you. This is because it has a breathing filter where your breath escapes..Although I have one ( bought in January) , after thinking about it, there should.definateky be used by health worker or of caring for someone who is ill. I have offers mine to my friend who is a nurse.

I am now.of.the opinion that we should be making surgical.masks or anything over your mouth compulsory for anyone outside but that P3 masks like this should only be used by health workers or people in their house while taking care of someone who is ill.

@Randomschoolworker19 I have this one too- not been brave enough to wear it outside yet! (Although to be fair I haven't left the house in nearly two weeks and don't plan on doing so for a while yet).

On the TV news they had an expert on saying wearing masks helps prevent the spread. No it is not 100%, but it does reduce the spread.

My dd’s School in China starting the staggered opening this week and wearing a mask is still compulsory.

BBC article yesterday still said not to bother with masks

There’s so much conflicting information out there

It’s hard to even trust bbc now

Yes...but I'll be saving mine for a deadlier mutation.

Spanish Flu had a nasty, mutated, deadlier 2nd wave.

N95 masks are used mainly in industry and building as dust masks. They do not produce a seal adequate to stop virus getting in however they may offer some protection to bystanders when you cough or sneeze.
FFP3 are more effective because they produce a seal BUT they need proper fitting as do any other respirators. They have to be leak tested and are very uncomfortable to use. They have to be be fit tested every time you put one on. So although you may think you are safe you may take more risks and the mask will be pointless.
Hand washing and social distancing is still more important.

On the TV news they had an expert on saying wearing masks helps prevent the spread. No it is not 100%, but it does reduce the spread

But who was it. Because if it was someone connected to the study, it's not impartial.

Theres still no official advice taht says wearing masks, will give you further protection.

I am always suspicious of a bargain when it comes to my health. £20 is rather cheap for a respirator mask even before the outbreak and if it came off eBay then it may have dubious content in the filters.

@willdoitinaminute

I bought it in store from Tool Station back in January when things were still priced normally.

I don't expect it to be fool proof but surely some protection is better than no protection at all? Of course, the mask is in addition to social distancing and frequent hand washing. It's not either or.

@keentohelp

I've yet to wear it out just yet as it's about risk / convenience / social acceptability and blending in. In a situation like this you don't want to draw too much attention to yourself as then people start wondering 'what else you might have'.

Up until now I have been wearing a white P1 dust mask with a simple filter more in line with the white surgical masks people have started wearing. Once things get worse though and we see more people using the respirators and P3 masks I'll move on to the more serious one.

No one is saying that masks stop all virus particles getting in. We know we need a hazmat suit for that. But it does prevent some spread. And if I was wearing a mask out the last thing it would do is make me complacent. They are uncomfortable so it is a constant reminder to be very careful.

The experts wanted us to believe that masks weren’t useful in order to stop people buying them. Because if people stockpiled masks there’d be none left for the doctors and nurses.

Make your own if you must. Even a bandana is better than nothing, the thing is for a mask to be effective it has to be sealed around the nose area (otherwise you can have droplets/aerosols dropping down and you breath them in anyway).

People saying masks are ineffective have, unfortunately, lapped up the propaganda that has been spread due to a shortage of PPE (hence NHS workers with no protection.)

I was reading this article:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8050587/Coronavirus-face-masks-selling-one-buy.html

Not sure about the science, but I would imagine something is better than nothing. The Mayor Of New York is encouraging to wear just at least something even if it is just a scarf of bandana. Small things like this and social distancing, staying at home seem like no-brainers that could help whilst the scientists beaver way....

The thing with masks is that low grade ones (paper) become wet quickly and need changing frequently. Even repellent masks need to be changed. FFP3 you need to be fitted by a trained fitter

So 1 person would need a lot of them to keep changing them a lot, and this takes away from the NHS genuinely it does. As with loo roll debacle the public can not be trusted to buy masks responsibly, so they are being stockpiled by suppliers and given out in small batches to medical services (another issue)

Also the other issue is that if everyone had masks they would continue to think it’s absolutely fine to go out and socialise - because ‘protected’ by a mask. When it reduces your risk but does not eliminate as effectively as social isolation and distancing

Therefore giving everyone masks would cause more issues than it would likely solve.

Good article about masks here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ua7j979dbqb045/masksfinallnHFFNA.pdf?dl=0

Like everything else to do with this virus, it's a numbers game. Masks aren't perfect, but even cloth masks will help reduce spreading 🦠 virus & reduce chance of breathing in the virus.

I only have dust masks with filters P1?
But it still acts as a visual deterrent.

I'm on day three of a bug that has CV symptoms, so if it protects me from coughing over everyone after then this must help?

Also the other issue is that if everyone had masks they would continue to think it’s absolutely fine to go out and socialise - because ‘protected’ by a mask.

We don't know that.

When it reduces your risk but does not eliminate as effectively as social isolation and distancing

Well surely doing both would be better.

Any barrier will tend to reduce viral load, and in particular will block big chunks of viral load (the kind of thing you would get exposed to if someone accidentally coughed or sneezed close to you).

Viral load matters because it appears to be correlated with how sick you get.

If you get exposed to very small amounts of virus, your immune system can usually get ahead of the infection and fight back, meaning that you are more likely to throw off the infection or have only mild symptoms--whereas if you get exposed to a big dose of viral load, your immune system is more likely to be overwhelmed before it has a chance of working out how to deal with the virus.