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?

“ 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.”

This kind of stuff is deeply unfair and just plain forgetting what the messages were at the time that masks were introduced. People who said they couldn’t wear something over their nose and mouth because of past trauma were being told “can’t you just wear a light scarf?” There wasn’t any differentiation by effectiveness. It was all about covering your face by any means.

Used to wear my cloth masks last year, obviously worked well for me as didn't catch covid while going out to work
Tried using surgical masks but must have reacted to something in them as my face was in agony. Also didn't find them well fitting
As soon as mask stopped being mandatory swapped to N95 masks, no skin reaction to them, thankfully
As very few people still wear any masks (even in settings which claim that they are still 'required' and 'mandatory') I feel that N95 gives me better protection.
However much I liked my cloth masks (really did a lot) I wouldn't have appreciated silk cloth mask as a Christmas present

I went into a hospital appointment recently with my fabric mask and they gave me a blue and white one and made me take mine off.

I suppose in this situation they know it's clean, a fabric one may not have been washed recently.

And blue and white ones are free, you can pick them up off the ground in any supermarket carpark.

The blue/white paper ones are more comfortable.

I am in Scotland where masks are stull compulsory everywhere, pretty much. Despite the fact our rates are not much different to the rest of the UK.

My mask wearing is purely for show. I'm not interested in most effective, least effective, FP whatever. The only reason I'm wearing a mask is to stop fellow shoppers hissing at me in Tesco.

Surgical are much comfier, I can’t breathe in fabric and get really sweaty. Was also communicated in my work that we are not to wear fabric, they say surgical are better and I think the fear is that people are just re wearing fabric masks day after day and not washing them whereas you are more likely to change/bin the disposable ones

It's because fabric masks are found to be less effective. If you wear a mask, better to wear the more effective ones.

Used to wear my cloth masks last year, obviously worked well for me as didn't catch covid while going out to work

Your cloth mask wasn't responsible for you avoiding covid.

@RichTeaRichTea

“ 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.”

This kind of stuff is deeply unfair and just plain forgetting what the messages were at the time that masks were introduced. People who said they couldn’t wear something over their nose and mouth because of past trauma were being told “can’t you just wear a light scarf?” There wasn’t any differentiation by effectiveness. It was all about covering your face by any means.

Yes remember all those helpful online videos about making masks from old t shirts or sock? Every little helps, right?

Hell we were even told a plastic visor helped reduce the spread of covid.

I wore a cloth one initially, out of ignorance. I wouldn't now.

HesterShaw1

Your cloth mask wasn't responsible for you avoiding covid.

Good to know. What was responsible for it then?

@BritWifeInUSA

Masks as Christmas presents? Are you for real?

What do you give for birthdays? Paracetamol and plasters?

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

My cloth ones look grubby & I can’t be arsed to buy anymore 😂 I don’t wear one all that often anymore. So I buy a pack of disposables now & again and I re-use the surgical masks for about a week & then start a fresh one! I don’t understand why they are single use? They are fine to keep using. 🤷🏼‍♀️

@MrsBillyNoJagNoMates

HesterShaw1

Your cloth mask wasn't responsible for you avoiding covid.

Good to know. What was responsible for it then?

Alright, I'll put it another way. It wasn't your cloth mask which prevented you catching covid because they are as useful as a chocolate teapot.

On those rare occasions when I still wear a mask I wear a homemade cotton one.
Before face coverings became mandatory in July 2020 we were told that homemade cotton masks were acceptable so I made several out of leftover scraps of material (I do dressmaking as a hobby). They are still going strong. I prefer reusing old materials for environmental reasons.
Being homemade I chose breathable fabrics and adjusted the fit to make them comfortable. I find the surgical ones too close-fitting and itchy.

I'm still using fabric ones generally. I also have disposable ones that I find more practical if I need to stay away from home though as it's too much hassle to wash and dry fabric masks then

I use disposal ones for work if needed, and fabric at other times. More concerned about the environment.

@HesterShaw1

Alright, I'll put it another way. It wasn't your cloth mask which prevented you catching covid because they are as useful as a chocolate teapot.

All right, I'll bite, although I tend to scroll past your posts as I find them as useless as a chocolate teapot. I don't tend to wear cloth masks at the moment as my region is at a point where that would be foolhardy. Perhaps, though, later on when things cool down a bit they would be better than nothing at all. I tend to think they are good for the stage when others are coughing around you, etc., and you really don't wish to breathe in their lung material. (That's just anecdotal, of course, and no, I don't have a study to link to.)

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.

Bit of a sweeping statement! I live in a country where we are still wearing masks, and the majority just get on with it. Around here it's probably half wearing cloth masks - the clothing manufacturers have been making masks for over a year out of offcuts - and it's cheaper to buy a couple than to keep buying surgical masks.

I’m confused. Did anyone ever have an interest in ‘having a beautiful mask?’

I made multi layer fabric masks with a pocket which holds a PM 2.5 carbon fibre insert. Made enough for the family to wash, dry & cycle a new one every day. Takes 5 mins to wash a batch in hot water, hang to dry every night & wazz the iron over them. Slightly more environmentally friendly & daughter is allergic to something in the regular blue masks. Custom sized to fit my fat head, daughter’s tiny ears, her boyfriend’s full bloom beard etc.

I find it interesting that people on here have an idea that fabric masks are next to useless.

Here in Canada the message is that any mask is fine, and the vast majority use either a disposable paper mask, the kind that doesn't seal, or a fabric mask.

I suspect it doesn't really account for much difference in the end.

There was a study early on that I remember saying that surgical type masks were more effective than the other material ones which had effectiveness that varied wildly depending on material.

It also worried me that mask effectiveness drops when washed over a certain amount of times- didn't want to risk wearing a mask that was less effective without me realising.

I also knew if my family had material face masks that DD and DH would both have favourite masks, which they'd wear over and over without washing. That seemed like an infection risk to me.

Atleast with the masks were currently wearing I can ensure they're changed atleast daily, their effectiveness remains the same, and they're fairly comfortable.

Here in Canada the message is that any mask is fine, and the vast majority use either a disposable paper mask, the kind that doesn't seal, or a fabric mask.

It's the same here in NZ, and if it's good enough for the PM to wear a fabric mask, then it's good enough for me.

That always was the message in the U.K. too

I use fabric masks in the house when vacuuming and using cleaners but paper if going someplace.