why are most mask-wearers now wearing the inexpensive surgical masks (blue/white) rather than fabric ones? Safety or just lost interest in having beautiful masks?

[loveyouradvice]

Just that really - I'm still wearing fabric ones and was thinking of getting some silk ones for people as christmas presents....

What do you think?

I used to wear fabric ones, but I now have to wear them more for my job. I find the fabric ones are worse for glasses fogging and also make my face feel slimy when I have it on for more than about two hours at a go.

The blue ones are so much more comfortable for longer periods. I find the fabric ones fine for a quick trip to the shops but not for a full day at work!

I find the paper masks much less hot than fabric masks - given I mainly wear one on the tube now, I much prefer to feel a bit cooler. Plus yes, I've also very much lost interest in 'pretty' masks.

Fabric is sweatier ime.
Plus I only ever read that they perform worse than medical masks.

I’m sure there’s some research somewhere as to mask effectiveness. Basically, surgical masks are better than cloth masks (by quite a long way) but FFP2 etc are better than surgical masks. There is a mask hierarchy and cloth masks are not much better than not wearing one at all

I've always used the disposable type myself. I don't like the feel of fabric masks on my face, like they would cling to my face and make my nose run. I can wear the surgical type for ages.

My fabric ones are looking worse for wear and the elastic is going

I found a pack of flowered, 3 layered surgical ones. They are more easily available now. So I have bought the box. I steam iron clean them and reuse them. They should last for the next year or 2.

If someone bought me a mask for Christmas if use it as toilet tissue before I’d ever use it as a mask

@Rabblesthecat

If someone bought me a mask for Christmas if use it as toilet tissue before I’d ever use it as a mask

Pahahaha!! I agree!

I prefer the disposables with the wire in due to my glasses wearing. I wore more fabric ones in the summer when it was warmer and fogging up my specs was less of a problem.

I've read that the surgical ones are much more effective, so I wear them.

@Rabblesthecat

If someone bought me a mask for Christmas if use it as toilet tissue before I’d ever use it as a mask

Indeed.

I just kept losing all my fabric masks. You know all the masks you've seen lying in the road and on the pavement? Those were mine.

I now use a disposable surgical one, a new one every morning, usually lost by the end of the day.

In non-PPE medical settings, most professionals seem to wear the disposable masks too so I have assumed they are generally 'better'

Fabric masks are worse than useless.

Fabric ones are pretty ineffective, I wear a disposable one where I'm genuinely worried about covid risk, rather than fulfilling a government (Scottish) requirement.
We're flying at the weekend and I've bought the FFP2 5 layer ones as I definitely want to avoid catching anything on the flight .

Please dont buy masks as a christmas present ! 🤣😂

I don’t think it’s a very nice Christmas present. Bit like giving someone a sanitary towel. Doesn’t matter how allegedly beautiful it is.

A silk mask? That needs handwashing ?

The fabric ones don't proform as well as surgical style, and I'd imagine a lot of people still wearing a mask have a reason to (eg. vulnerable/ contact with vulnerable), so need them to be as effective as possible.

The people who used fabric masks are the people who didn't feel they needed to take the safest option, so are more likely to have stopped using masks.

Because the fabric ones are shite and the novelty wore off?

You need masks that mould round your nose at least. The fabric ones dont offer much protection at all

If some one bought me a silk mask it would go straight in the bin. Its a fashion accessory and not fit for purpose.

Because they don’t care about the environment?

It’s also a depressing reminder of coronavirus on a day when people want to celebrate and forget for five minutes

The fabric ones are much more useless and probably much more dirty with a higher chance of getting ill from other shit.

With disposable ones, you take them off when you leave the shop and drop them in the bin. No chance of being able to reuse over and over.
Not to mention the dye in the fabric ones. Me dad washed his and commented about how much colour came out of it...how much had he breathed in with the moisture of his breath. No thanks.

@loveyouradvice

Just that really - I'm still wearing fabric ones and was thinking of getting some silk ones for people as christmas presents....

What do you think?

The surgical masks are much more effective than the fabric/novelty/ silk ones.

Hence why they're used in Hospitals and Healthcare environments.