Please Boris get on the BBC asap and tell people to start making masks...

[jobhunter7]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZtEX2-n2Hc

In the USA sewers have been making masks for weeks now. The first thing I did after lockdown was to see a few masks for immediate family. It doesn't need a campaign, just get on and make them and dish them out.

Loving the idea that crafty sewing people can beat this thing. If only it were so simple.
If the government wants people to wear masks then they are going to have to provide a lot of them - with the best will in the world not everyone can make their own. As the nhs are currently short, where are these masks going to come from?
It would only work if everyone wore a mask. Personally I don't fancy wearing a bunch of sweaty cloth round my face when the weather gets really hot.
We need testing, not masks. The government needs to get its arse into gear over this.

Masses of online tutorials. Order your elastic now before there's a shortage

The government needs to get its arse into gear over this.

Why wait? Let's do something about this.

Loving the idea that crafty sewing people can beat this thing. If only it were so simple.

In the Czech Republic, they knocked up 10million masks in 3 days.

with the best will in the world not everyone can make their own.

True, but some people can make far more than they need and sell them cheaply or give them away or barter them...

It would only work if everyone wore a mask.

If as many people did wear one as possible that would help.

Personally I don't fancy wearing a bunch of sweaty cloth round my face when the weather gets really hot.

I don't fancy dying of suffocation in a hospital ward.

We need testing, not masks.

We need testing and masks.

@longearedbat

Can’t help but think this is the motivating sentiment behind your post,,.

“ Personally I don't fancy wearing a bunch of sweaty cloth round my face when the weather gets really hot. ”

@ChippyMinton

In the USA sewers have been making masks for weeks now. The first thing I did after lockdown was to see a few masks for immediate family. It doesn't need a campaign, just get on and make them and dish them out.

That is excellent. I do think a campaign would help and also word of mouth. If you talk to friends and family and encourage them to do the same, that would help...

@lycidas yes, you are probably right.

I think this video: is good. Not only do you not need a sewing machine, there's no sewing at all. I ordered some facemasks at the beginning of all of this. If/when they run out this is the one I will be making.

@RainMustFall

Good stuff.

It's like lockdown, everyone else is doing it so pressure is now on for us to too, despite the fact the evidence apparently doesn't support the use of them.

I think under the increasing public pressure they will probably say to be used in crowded places like public transport where 2m social distancing can't be maintained

@GetOffYourHighHorse

There is plenty of evidence they do work too. Science as usual is somewhat contradictory.

Think it is just about people showing initiative. Laura Ashley's otherwise furloughed staff are now making scrubs. Perhaps we as a planet can do more things like this:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8248641/Furloughed-Laura-Ashley-staff-work-using-sewing-skills-make-scrubs-NHS.html

Tbh even if the evidence isn't convincing I think it's almost past the point of discussion, people will expect it now as everywhere is doing it.

They need to say it is not ppe surgical types masks that NHS staff use but more basic face coverings to prevent the aerosol of secretions in high flow areas.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

We need to make our own as much as possible. Or if not, wear scarves, bandanas.

People are capable of changing their behaviour - see how people all went panic buying at supermarkets...

Interestingly there was just a professor from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on SkyNews, saying he'd changed his view on face coverings (not surgical masks) and that he's now convinced we should be wearing them. He said a lot of the previous evidence came from pandemic flu and didn't translate well to covid where the evidence seems to be that cloth coverings were more effective and where pre/asymptomatic transmission is more of a feature.

Paraphrasing as it was a longer interview.

We've clearly not done a great job in Britain thus far of things compared to some other countries. In Vietnam, nobody has dies despite being on the border with China. We need to get control of this situation.

Simple measures like everybody being asked to make and wear a masks would help us to start getting things back under control and then we can maybe try and implement other policies that have worked elsewhere.

How many are you making then OP?

I know it's very tempting to think that wearing masks will somehow 'get things back under control' but I think that's an illusion. Proper N95 masks would be useful, but we're not going to be wearing those, it'll be home made whatever fabric you can get your hands on masks. They will not be of much use, in fact they could make things worse for some, by lulling people into a false sense of security.

I don't think masks are proven to be effective and I worry that if we get everyone to wear one they'll have a false sense of security and stop distancing or relax about the 2m rules.

I know it's very tempting to think that wearing masks will somehow 'get things back under control' but I think that's an illusion

I am not sure why you think that.

It'll be home made whatever fabric you can get your hands on masks. They will not be of much use.

There is evidence to show they are of use.

in fact they could make things worse for some, by lulling people into a false sense of security.

I'm not sure why you think this.

Make some for me then please. If you PM when they are ready, I’ll give you my address

you can make your own:

The Mother's Union?
Valerie flipping Singleton?
Is it 1969? Have I been asleep?