Number of masks needed for a school day

[MyMagicStars]

Considering this question as DD4 goes into her PGCE year! How many would masks your DC need for travelling around the site on an average school day? DS4 calculates that for many, bus to school, to form, to first lesson, to second lesson, to break, from break, to third lesson, to lunch, to fourth, to final class and then on the bus home means that some DC could end up needing 11 masks. Obviously disposable ones are bad for the planet, and also, how will DC store so many?
I’m very pro-mask, but realise many DC will reuse used ones, possibly making the risk worse- how would/will your DC prepare?

@MrsGradyOldLady

Surely they'll just have one screwed up one that they keep in their pocket? Really can't see anyone buying 220 per month!

This.

"After you take them off you aren’t supposed to put them back on. hence if I go out I rarely take mine off."

Where did you hear that nonsense?

People seem to be making up their own rules here. The rules are simply limited to "wear a face covering" in certain scenarios. There are no rules around how often you wash them, or if you take it off you cant put it on again, or you cant wear it for more than 3 or 4 hours.

Surely it is simple hygiene common sense @Orchidsindoors

You can buy fifty cotton masks on amazon for about £20. They are comfortable to wear and have washed quite well.

"Surely it is simple hygiene common sense@Orchidsindoors"

For a sterile setting in an operating theatre perhaps? Not for bog standard public use. Some people are going to the tenth degree here. So if you take your mask off to eat in a restaurant, you dont put it back on, so do you strip off as soon as you leave the restaurant and hose yourself down and incinerate your clothes?

@loutypips

You can buy fifty cotton masks on amazon for about £20. They are comfortable to wear and have washed quite well.

Do you have a link please? I don't normally shop at Amazon but if they are good price I might make an exception.

I wash my hands before meals and I wash cutlery between having lunch and dinner @Orchidsindoors. So it just seems odd that something that has been near your mouth for a few hours you wouldn't wash regularly.

"After you take them off you aren’t supposed to put them back on. hence if I go out I rarely take mine off."

Where did you hear that nonsense?

It's official medical advice that's been widely publicised.

Here's an article that explains in simple language why you should wash your face mask

one - the yp will put them on then straight into pockets / bags. It's all a bit pointless IMO. If the government was serious about protecting kids / teachers they would have SD and be paying to use community venues so that schools weren't overcrowded. And long term building bigger and better schools with smaller class sizes

All of this has made me wonder if disposable facemasks are going to be the new blight on the environment taking the place of carrier bags. I hope not!

Well if the masks don’t work as many of you say they won’t that may be the next step or blended learning, which is my preferred choice for Secondary school. But those ways cost the Government money, as schools definitely can’t pay, whereas masks don’t.

"14:36Tavannach

"After you take them off you aren’t supposed to put them back on. hence if I go out I rarely take mine off."

Where did you hear that nonsense?

It's official medical advice that's been widely publicised.

Here's an article that explains in simple languagewhy you should wash your face mask"

It says replace your mask daily, not never put it back on once took off. Thetes a big difference. Perhaps you should read that simple article yourself. And that's Metro, not medical advice.

If face masks are needed on and off throughout the day, then I think the person should have around half a dozen (possibly more) each day. However, the reality is that many/most won’t. It’s the wearer that benefits from them being clean but for some people they are expensive and inconvenient to clean frequently enough.

Again most schools not having masks!

It’s only corridors in the lockdown areas - most of which are in northwest west

These mask rules shouldn’t be happening nationwide

Headteachers can choose to have them in other schools

@Vinoonasunnyday

Again most schools not having masks!

It’s only corridors in the lockdown areas - most of which are in northwest west

These mask rules shouldn’t be happening nationwide

And all of Scotland which you seem to have conveniently forgotten about.

Corridors in Scotland so don’t need tons of masks!

And gov advice is still that they’re not needed so many schools won’t go against gov advice (most parents don’t want them) and they’ll have a strong argument with gov on their side

My dd has been told she needs 7 a week, one for each day.
if they are caught with the same one two days running they are sent back to their room.
She is buying 14 all different colours and designs, so has plenty of spares.

@Devlesko How would anyone know it was the same mask 2 days running?

@Mertyle

All of this has made me wonder if disposable facemasks are going to be the new blight on the environment taking the place of carrier bags. I hope not!

They already are, but hey, covid!

I think they check them before breakfast, when leaving house.
I said what if they are all the same colour/ style from the same place.
But those are the rules, you should see the pages we have, and different distances depending on instruments, sizes of ensembles (she's at a music school)

It’s the wearer that benefits from them being clean but for some people they are expensive and inconvenient to clean frequently enough.

There is an initial outlay but you can get reusable masks for £2 in Poundland.

Not really expensive to wash them -

Come into house, go to bathroom to wash hands.
Wash hands.
Wash masks - takes a couple of minutes if that.
Change water. Leave masks to soak for 10 mins. I use disinfectant at this stage but soapy water would do.
Rinse masks.
Squeeze out.
Hang up to dry.
Done!

@Devlesko

My dd has been told she needs 7 a week, one for each day. if they are caught with the same one two days running they are sent back to their room. She is buying 14 all different colours and designs, so has plenty of spares.

You can buy job lots of them that all look the same, it's cheaper usually, too, so how will they know?

God, this is stupid AF.

I know it's daft, but dd wants different ones anyway, I'm sure she and her friends see them as a fashion accessory. But I suppose that's good if they are going to be with us for some time.
I'm wondering about laundering them, I better go and find that bit in the list of to do's and to don'ts. lol. Probably be put hem in a net like the underwear.