there should be a government campaign to make your own masks...

[jobhunter7]

Surely this would help if as many people as possible were wearing masks... and understandably perhaps the government want to make sure medics have them first...

But what effect is there in a hanky strapped to your face

It will catch most of the droplets if you cough, sneeze, laugh, talk, pant ...

I'm happy to wear a mask, if that helps to get us out of this sooner.

And as I said, I don't see how a fabric made mask is worse than the flimsy blue ones, especially if it's made well, it's lined, so you know which is from and reversed and fits. They are washable and can be ironed at high temps and can save a lot of money and are environmentally friendly.

I am a bit worried about a rise in crime with all the face covering though.

Ah but we are special and different from other countries where people are being encouraged to wear them, we need to remember this. Homemade are to protect others, so if enough people wear them, and continue to adhere to social distancing etc then even if it doesn't do much (even though a fair bit of research suggests that they do), what's the harm? The government won't recommend it because they are worried the public will buy medical masks (which shouldn't be available for the public to buy anyway if the NHS is so short, blame their bungling procurement strategy), and don't want to actually have to do anything to help provide them. They have limitations, you can only wear them for around an hour and they need to be washed at 60 or boiled after each wear, but we shouldn't be out for hours at a time anyway, or popping to the supermarket everyday. It's weird how some people are so against them.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon you don't cover your entire face

Respirators are great for stopping Coronavirus as long as they are FFP2 (N95) or FFP3 (N99), fitted properly and removed correctly. Its difficult to understand why we are told they do not work?
There is plenty of peer reviewed research that says respirators are effective.
I find myself concerned that people are encouraged to make their own masks as respirators are made from materials that are unavailable to most and there are inherent issues with any respirator such as contamination etc.
A homemade mask is subject to all the issues a respirator suffers.
Isn't it better to buy masks with the correct rating?

If someone has Covid19 AND hayfever, when they sneeze they WILL emit a miasma of tens of billions of virus particles. Seeing as this virus has a long asymptomatic phase of a few days where people are unaware they are infected, that’s a lot of opportunity for the virus to spread... at supermarkets, bus stations, tube trains, pharmacies etc. Cut the spread by high compliance of mask wearing, you cut the R0 to a level where the virus dwindles and fizzles away. Without drastically pushing the economy into economic depression that’ll take decades to recover from. And pushing large numbers of people into psychological depression, and all the other ramifications of such a huge upheaval to our lives.

@BubblesBuddy you would continue to do that whilst wearing a mask, no one is saying if you wear one don't bother ever washing your hands or anything.

But what effect is there in a hanky strapped to your face

“This virus is transmitted by droplets and close contact,” the head of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said. “Droplets play a very important role – you’ve got to wear a mask, because when you speak, there are always droplets coming out of your mouth.”

Not everyone agrees with Gao’s assessment, however. The World Health Organisation (WHO), for instance, says that only people showing symptoms of infection or those caring for someone that has Covid-19 needs to wear a face mask.
The European and US disease control and prevention centres take a similar view to the WHO.
But Gao said people should err on the side of caution.

“Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections,” he said. “If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others.”
In its latest public advisory issued on March 22, the Chinese CDC said that people need not wear face masks when they are at home, in the open air, or in an environment where there is good airflow and no crowds. However, they should still wear them in the office, meeting rooms, lifts and on public transport.

www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3077413/coronavirus-chinese-scientist-advises-people-europe-us-wear-face

#actlikeyouhaveit

Isn't it better to buy masks with the correct rating?

Yes, but there aren't enough for healthcare professionals who need them the most, so it would be even more dangerous for them if there were further shortages as everyone started buying them. Homemade masks help to protect others from you, rather than protect you from others, but if enough people wore them they would make a difference.

If I wanted to make and wear a mask I'd not need the government to tell me to do so 🤷🏼‍♀️

@midnightstar66 the issue is, wearing a homemade masks is designed to protect others rather than the wearer, so ideally you would need lots of people to wear them for them to be effective. If the government were to encourage it then there's a chance that this would happen.

It seems common sense to me that a mask/respirator would work. The virus enters through your nose and mouth, covering the virus entry points must help!
Look for the research online, its quite conclusive, good article in the BMJ about it.
But do get a proper mask/respirator, otherwise the virus can concentrate itself on the mask, making the mask itself a hazard. 3m have some great research on their website about how viruses behave on and in their masks. From the research it is difficult to see how homemade masks will avoid the pitfalls 3m mention.
Go out and buy respirators, they are better and actually work! It isn't the case that the govt need them for nurses, the govt hasn't bothered to buy any.
I have a load of masks, If I can buy them so can you?
Thing I've found is that the single use disposable respirators have to be thrown away after a short use period. Wearing one to the corner shop means its worn for 20 seconds then binned due to contamination.
Not sure how homemade masks would be safe?
Obviously even with a mask you need to continually wash or gel up your hands, change your clothing etc etc.

No, firstly home made masks are going to be less effective unless proper filters are used. They will lure people into a false sense of security about keeping a proper distance.

Also unless a face mask is worn properly or removed correctly then it will put people more at risk.
I wear surgical masks for my job and I end up fiddling with it and touching my face much more than if I wasn't wearing one. I have access to these masks but I'm choosing to not wear them and I'm donating the excess to my local care home instead.

most of your face is covered, mouth and nose and if you add sunglasses to protect your eyes, then yes, you are well covered.

Newdadtogirl I had contemplated borrowing DD1's rebreather for trips to the supermarket, it may be overkill. Is there a corona ward in your local corner shop?

DD2 is working with Covid patients so has need of a decent facemask.

Wear a fabric mask and help to significantly slow the spread ie RO

Surely the government should be looking at things as much as possible that are cheap and effective ways to prevent the spread of the virus - like social distancing, people working from home, the current lockdown... surely asking people to cover their faces whilst they go to places like the supermarket or are on a bus/train where it is difficult to keep your distance is something that will help...

Surely it is got to be better for the economy than a perpetual lockdown...

I agree with you OP but I'm having this argument on other threads and lets just say I'm not winning .
There is an excellent article in the BMJ about using them as a precautionary principle. Home made is better than nothing and there are plenty of patterns on the internet about the best fabric to use.
If any resistors are interested in an expert opinion then look for the BMJ Trisha Greenhalgh analysis.
I think the Government are worried about the supply chain for Frontline workers. No way will they endorse this.. yet.

A selections of the ones I use... these respirators work well, they are all rated FFP2 (N95) or FFP3 (N99), and some even have added protection through using complex activated carbon filters, multi layer pre-filters and other effective details.
I in no way claim that these help others, but they certainly protect the wearer, for ones that protect others you need to get un-valved masks. These all have valves!
Obviously keep washing hands too.

The “common sense” thing isn’t that (non-surgical) face masks prevent entry to the virus and thereby infecting you.

It’s to prevent you unknowingly spreading infection to others during the asymptomatic phase of the disease.

That means that face masks only work with high compliance at a population level. Everyone is responsible for for public health as part of the whole. I protect you by wearing a mask, and you in turn protect me by doing likewise. It’s a collectvist mindset; the mindset of “wear one if you want to, don’t if you don’t” won’t work. It’s overall much less painful than shutting down practically the whole economy and social life of the country for several months.

If Matt Hancock asked at least asked everybody do it... at least it MAY work...

And Lorraine, Pip&Holly, GMTV crew etc...

Go out and buy respirators, they are better and actually work! It isn't the case that the govt need them for nurses, the govt hasn't bothered to buy any.

Nobody should be doing this.

It doesn't matter what the reasons are for our HCPs not having sufficient masks (well, it does matter, massively, but that's a different thread), it wouldn't matter even if our HCP had plenty.

This is a pandemic. There's a worldwide shortage of PPE.

@PestymcPestFace hope your DD1 is doing ok and is remaining well, I am in awe of NHS workers, its a scandal that most are unprotected while at work.

Why would there be a covid19 ward in my corner shop? Its a corner shop it has food etc! If your local shop has a covid19 ward in it, you need to shop elsewhere!
My wearing a mask has no impact whatsoever on NHS supply. NHS and I obviously shop in different places. The idea that my having masks disrupts NHS supply isn't really plausible is it?
I have need of a medical mask, if that's what type that works! Obviously NHS staff have a greater need, but it's not up to me to supply them.
I bought my masks in early January. The govt should have bought some too.

@LangClegsInSpace My wearing a mask has no impact whatsoever on NHS supply. NHS and I obviously shop in different places. The idea that my having masks disrupts NHS supply isn't really plausible is it?

It's not just about the NHS though is it?

This is a pandemic. There is a worldwide shortage of PPE.