Face masks, what's the truth?

[flashbac]

Just that really. Many other countries are encouraging wearing of face masks but our government is not. Should we trust them on this?

SubordinateThatClaus

You posted;

"The advice about masks in this country is purely down to the lack of PPE for frontline staff." ...
"So basically we all lose out because the government have failed health and social care."

You didn't answer why Belgium are only proposing the use of face masks for everyone now. Lack of PPE for frontline staff in Belgium, or did their scientific advisers previously think masks were unnecessary?

Every country that’s mandated their use is doing well. Says it all. It might not protect you, but if you’re infected it will minimise the velocity/spread of germs.

We can protect each other and should.

Your mask partially protects me and my mask partially protects you.

Best practice would be to never be inside a building with anyone else. And to stay much further away than 2m outside and never down stream from a jogger. But that isn't happening. Is not possible.

What are Labour saying? Maybe they should suggest we start wearing homemade masks if the Tories won't?

@PestymcPestFace, exactly which mask is your husband wearing that he can wear it for many hours while doing heavy manual labour? If it becomes mandatory to wear one, I can't cycle hardly anywhere if I can't breath hard in one. So I would need to buy one that doesn't impede air flow. I might not even be able to get work if I don't find something like that.

Actually, I'm confused. Why is anyone else around your DH right now in close contact outside his household group? Is he one of many agricultural labourers on your farm working closely together for long periods all wearing masks?

PestyMcPestface I've certainly had an earful on this topic so I'm sure he'd be pleased to meet the 50+ governments!! Most of those haven't advocated home made masks, though. I agree re reduction in viral load in the air near an infected person being the potential benefit, as long as the fabric used is adequate and as tight fitting as possible - maybe multiple layers in the mask??

The only reason they haven't advised widespread use is because this Government is a shitshow and its to hide the fact they woefully miscalculated the ppe

Are the Republic of Ireland woefully short of PPE?

30 March -
"There is no evidence to support the wearing of surgical masks by healthcare workers for close patient encounters and staff meetings, according to new official guidance."

"The guidance was issued by Health Service Executive clinical lead on infection control Prof Martin Cormican in response to moves towards routine wearing of face masks by a number of hospitals."

"One Dublin hospital last week advised staff they should wear surgical masks for all patient encounters and meetings between staff where social distancing of at two metres cannot be maintained."

"However, Prof Cormican said the recommendation “is not supported by evidence and is not consistent with national guidance”.

“The recommendation is problematic because it can be expected to promote poor practice in relation to use of masks and thereby increase risk for patients and colleagues.”

22 April;

"NEW GUIDANCE ISSUED to healthcare workers has advised staff to wear face masks within two metres of a patient."

"The new advice does not apply to members of the public, only to healthcare workers. Advice on the HSE website for members of the public states that “wearing a face mask is unlikely to be of any benefit if you are not sick”.

www.thejournal.ie/hse-face-masks-inmo-staff-front-line-5080889-Apr2020/

Anti-pollution masks might be my solution. The cheapest least hideous one I've found so far was £22 -- about the same as 1 week charge to park where I work.

There clearly are lots of factors involved - age of population, how they measure figures and how truthfully, the health of the populus, human stupidity, national traits, state of the health systems, other controls they have used such as quarantining and testing, spread of disease...

But many countries that have insisted on people wearing masks - if just in shops and on public transport - have had much lower death rates...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_masks_during_the_2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic

lljkk he's the vegetable growing teacher he has a modified concertina mask from some very tight weave cotton, with a slight duck bill built in. He can dig a trech and lug about compost whilst wearing it. His educational establishment is still open.

For cycling, I'd be tempted to get a mask designed for the job. Those ones you posted look the part.

The truth is they are really not much use, mainly because the general public dont use them correctly. They will not stop you catching it and only MIGHT help stop you coughing it over someone else. I honestly thing the Government has got far more important things to decide right now than this old chestnut

The truth is they are really not much use, mainly because the general public don't use them correctly.

I'd argue that more opinion than truth.

They will not stop you catching it

There is evidence to suggest that they can help.

and only MIGHT help stop you coughing it over someone else.

There is more evidence to suggest that they can help with that.

I honestly thing the Government has got far more important things to decide right now than this old chestnut

Well I guess if it gets people back to work and reduces the infection rate, then they have to decide whether it is worth a go...

They found icu staff were less likely to have caught covid than the other hcp (who might wear surgica l or no masks).
Clearly proper masks help.

Just need the gov to invest in making them

Also everyone would still be dying of asbestosis.

the demand is there we just need to source them like every other country is doing.

the demand is there we just need to source them like every other country is doing.

"The city of Jena in eastern Germany has decided to make people wear face masks when shopping or traveling on public transport, stepping up efforts to curb coronavirus contagion and becoming the first city in the country to introduce the measure."

"Given shortages of protective masks, the city in the state of Thuringia said towels or scarves wrapped over peoples’ mouths and noses would be acceptable, and it encouraged individuals to sew their own."

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-masks/german-city-introduces-face-masks-for-shoppers-as-coronavirus-spreads-idUSKBN21I10K

Have any mps or politicians openly criticised the government policy on this?

I thought Tony Blair said about this

www.reddit.com/r/CoronavirusUK/comments/g2ybng/lets_write_to_our_mp_and_ask_for_masks4all/

Clav

That Reuters article on Germany is 3 weeks old!! kinda proves the point that the UK is lagging behind on many policy decisions.

Germany is making so many masks now, they will soon be able to supply other countries too.

Why, 3 (or more) weeks ago, didn't the UK Govt start getting uk manufacturing to make FFP1 masks, plenty good enough for the general public

@newfunkychicken no politician is openly criticising the government as they don't want to start an argument which means the general public won't take lockdown seriously.

www.ft.com/content/1e80bd9d-ece4-42e8-b819-556c544e6827

Keir Starmer has.

Bikeradar thread about all the masks are pretty impossible to wear while breathing hard riding the bike. So not practical when exercising outdoors (or for most commuters).

We should be wearing masks, alongside social distancing.

There’s a weird UK phenomenon where people come up with a million and one reasons for not doing something that could help us all to start getting back to normal.

Wearing a mask all the time would not be normal.

jasjas1973
That Reuters article on Germany is 3 weeks old!!

Jena (small university city, quality of life ranked top 20 out of 400 German cities and states) did their own thing and imposed mask wearing weeks ago - much of Germany are following suit from tomorrow, 27th April - some states will impose fines, others not.

Germany is making so many masks now, they will soon be able to supply other countries too.

Berlin, by far the largest city in Germany, have not made mask wearing compulsory whilst shopping, only on public transport - should we assume that Berlin does not have enough masks, or do health officials in Berlin know something the rest of Germany does not?

Theres a petition for wearing them (though mn has deleted the post!)

Clav

Thank you for making my point, the UK is lagging behind, europes most successful country in regard to handling CV-19.

We aren't even advising any members of the public to wear masks in any situation.
With foresight and planning, the Govt could have asked UK manufacturing to start making masks weeks ago.

Or as a scientist just said on Sky news, the UK has chosen a different path from WHO and ECD which hasn't worked, if going forward, it continues to ignore world scientific opinion, we are just deluding ourselves.