Masks on UK sites
I think most people have the wrong Angle on wearing Medical type Masks, they are NOT mainly to protect the Wearer, but anyone in the wearers vicinity to stop passing any virus on.I think wearing a Mask should become the new Normal, at least until a Covid 19 vaccine is widely available.
Meeting the Wardens on an open site (when that happens!) shouldn't be Dreaded by them, if ALL Members wore a mask by default, and Wardens too of course ! the oral spreading of Germs/virus could be cut down.
Asian Countries have had Mask Wearing as the Norm for many years. Think we should and could learn from them. What do others think ?
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The only 'World Health Organisation approved' masks I've seen available to purchase are - from China - writing on packaging is in Chinese and, after seeing a video of men sitting on floors folding them and others letting them drop on the floor after sewing, I'll not bother. I think many of them lull wearers into a false sense of security because they're just not up to the job.
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WHO have said that masks are usefull mainly to help to prevent the wearer who may be infected and not know it, from passing on virus to people nearby, or via certain surfaces where the Virus can live for up to 72 hours. There are some very bad mannered people about. Just before lock down we entered a particular aisle of a store to see a guy walking towards us and he tossed his head back and with a wide open mouth coughed "aha" just to get attention. If I was a bit younger and bigger I would have given him the attention he really deserved. (chinned him). I think the reason WHO don't accept masks protect the wearers from recieving infected human airborne particles is because the masks can quickly (could be instantly)become infected and the wearer will probably pick up the virus by touching the mask. There is discussion also according to BBC R4 this morning about recommending masks in confined spaces - public transport etc. Partly to give some confidence to the masses of people who are extremely nervous about returning to normaity whan the moment comes.
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whilst out with the dog this morning i decided to do some people watching in the village, well out of reach of others. The number of people wearing masks who were continually adjusting them with hands that had now held store shopping trollies/baskets, items picked from shelves, door handles on cabinets in stores, even if they had been wearing disposable gloves i still shudder to think at what the outcome could possibly have been for these people. I even saw people with masks pulled down whilst vaping.
I think some of the experts were right, face masks could be a problem for some, and lead to more contamination , than they prevent. They say that on average we touch our faces some 250 times per day.
wouldnt envy the wardens having to wear masks for most of the day, but that said, we are all going to have to do things we dont much care for, if we are ever to get our country back up and running again
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Check >this old sock< out and I am thankful I don't have to go anywhere I don't want to.
peedee
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I agree with you 100% David. Plus I think in the current situation there is the chance they give the wearer a false sense of security and social distancing takes a back seat. There is already talk, according to this mornings papers, about reducing the distance to aid in lifting restrictions in pubs / resturants etc. Not sure how you drink your pint or eat your meal with a mask on.🤔
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Mask wearing has already been recommended in Scotland for those using public transport and while in shops.
I've made in excess of 35 now for family and friends. They can be washed or as advised on another thread you can steam them over a boiling kettle/pot.
When in the Range the other day I saw a packet of masks for sale £7.50 for 10, these were the ones 'similar' to the ones used by medical staff. For a family that would work out very expensive, think I'll stick to my washable ones.
More and more are wearing them up when shopping. They can annoy the ears though so wouldn't want to wear them all the time.
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Hi
From someone who lives in Spain and has been wearing a mask for the last seven weeks whenever i go out to do the shopping and to go for a walk for the first time today Halleluiah mind it was hot on todays walk got up to 35 phew.
My experience is quite the opposite of everyone opinion on here let me explain.
First of all wearing the mask gives me greater security when in the shops because everyone keeps their distance from you and they don't invade your space and keeps peoples minds focused at all times when shopping.
Secondly over the weeks it as now trained me not to touch my face at all and i now find i don't touch my face when not wearing one.
Thirdly the masks that the Spanish people wear are not the same as the surgical ones needed by the Hospital staff but basic covers made of cotton and any breathable material and i have seen scarfs, bandanas and anything that gives you some protection. Most are made by local people and fit really well while the health authority gives anyone over 65 three masks free once a month so with these i rotate them so wearing different mask every four day, they say three days is enough for the virus to have left the material and with donations from the local ladies i now own 10 masks of differing colours and got one lady to make one in my football team colours.
You would be surprised how much more secure this makes us feel at least gives it a try the mask it self wont harm as long you just don't TOCAR .
Phil
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I just don't fancy a holiday wearing a mask! So I'll wait and see how things proceed. I ordered some elastic to make a few home made masks and I ordered a ready made box of 10 basic medical masks, these worked out at just under £1 each. (As Jill says these come from China even if it says UK stock.) None of them will be much use but they might provide a bit of protection if needed from anyone who is breathing out the infection. I just looked up that the simple surgical type ones give about 33.33% protection.
Is anything better than nothing...just don't know.
Edit we posted at the same time philnffc so my reply was just a general one to previous posts.
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Walked past a guy today pedalling furiously on his bike and wearing a face mask. Eccentric would be my thought.
Don’t compare mask wearing with what they do in the Far East which is more of a cultural thing. In Saigon last year we were told that one reason for mark wearing in Vietnam was to protect the face from the sun as a pale face is associated with wealth and importance.
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good post and i agree with virtually all, except
First of all wearing the mask gives me greater security when in the shops because everyone keeps their distance from you and they don't invade your space and keeps peoples minds focused at all times when shopping.
In the UK there are some that are saying that the 2 mtr seperation was brought in so that coughs & sneezes etc which spray droplets everywhere, helps keep you out of range, agreed, but if people wear masks then there is not such a need for 2 mtrs seperation, not sure i agree, and i know 2 people who car share and think that if they sit in their car together with masks on then all is ok.
Must admit some film i have seen of South Korea/China they are walking around with masks on, but 2m seperation seems to have gone out of the window, similar to our public transport in London.
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I've made in excess of 35 now for family and friends. They can be washed or as advised on another thread you can steam them over a boiling kettle/pot.
That one surprised me a bit. I thought it needed quite a bit of heat to kill the virus. Isn't there the risk of active virus being carried by the steam before it is killed?
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Jill, I think you missed my point, they are NOT for the Wearers Safety (for that you would need a hood or goggles and a respirator type mask, ) they would be to stop folk unwittingly spreading it to others via their spittle whilst talking or coughing. But it only takes a few ' I am not wearing one unless I am ordered to' types for it to fail miserably.
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Steve, the info about using steam came from I believe a medical person on another thread.
I would have thought that the heat of steam was sufficient to kill germs.
According to the expert virologists the virus doesn't live for very long on cloth or paper type surfaces only on hard surfaces where it can last for up to 72 hours.
When we get home we remove the masks and hang them up outside, I then later on either wash them or steam them.
See philnfcc's post above he also leaves them for a few days.
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In the UK there are some that are saying that the 2 mtr seperation was brought in so that coughs & sneezes etc which spray droplets everywhere, helps keep you out of range, agreed, but if people wear masks then there is not such a need for 2 mtrs seperation, not sure i agree, and i know 2 people who car share and think that if they sit in their car together with masks on then all is ok.
Must admit some film i have seen of South Korea/China they are walking around with masks on, but 2m seperation seems to have gone out of the window, similar to our public transport in London.
Rufs
It must be a British thing because only twice have I have had my space invaded in Consum and had to have a word with them and both were Brits you know the sort Shorts, T-Shirt and no mask from the CL in Dolores and its only March/April and the Spanish still have gloves and scarf on, i also find here if walking in the street with a mask on people will walk on the road to give you space or visa-versa.
Also here it is law at the moment that in a car you have to wear a mask and one sits in the front and the other sits in the back, some people in village have fell foul to that and it cost them dear.
It does work if the people want it to.
Phil
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I’m no expert but from reports I’ve seen and heard the wearing of masks will not offer much protection, but rather as been stated a couple of times in this thread, will give people a sense of security. In my view this will lower people guard and things like keeping a safe distance will start to diminish. I’m all for anything that will reduce infection rates, but I don’t believe the waring of masks will do much in this regard.
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Face masks are not the only reason why things have gone so much better in Hong Kong than in the UK - but the fact is that in a crowded city with 7 million people, and even though there has been no complete lockdown there, they have only had 4 coronavirus deaths. Everyone wears face masks there.
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Masks, even if not the full-on armour plated type, offer improved protection. My mask protects you and your mask protects me. Although it does not eliminate the risk entirely, it reduces the percentage probability of transmission.
If we want to get back to something resembling normality, it will have to be a matter of risk management. If we want 100% security then something akin to the present regime, which even then isn't perfect, will prevail until the world has been vaccinated.
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Asian Countries have had Mask Wearing as the Norm for many years. Think we should and could learn from them. What do others think ?
I think, from the reporting on this over the years, that this is mainly due to the issue of pollution and nothing to do with the current situation.
The current situation seems to be that there may be an advantage in preventing you infecting someone else but not so much is protecting the wearer from others.
Having seen a few examples, whilst out shopping, of the way that people are using masks I am not confident that they are getting the protection they may think they are and the most common issues are the lack of distancing and the touching of the face whilst adjusting the mask.
As for using cars, so far as I understand it NHS volunteers are not required to use masks when transporting people.
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I've just received my surgical masks from China, the ones that provide around 33% protection.
I'll give you a few details.
Deisposable protective
more conformable (over nose)
should ont be incinerated
Patients with dyspnea or congenital herat please with caution
Somehow my confidence has dropped!
The elastic has also arrived for my homemade masks, I think I'll be busy making these next. I still don't want to wear one at all but will if needed although I think the protection will be minimal. They will indeed prompt quite a bit of face touching as they just aren't comfortable for any length of time.
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The most "populated" area would be the Toilets. These are the facilities that would need extra care, where sanitizers etc. should be made available. Along with the water / gray water areas? Wearing a mask whilst showering etc. would be impossible. How many people do you "hear" coughing in the toilet areas!! Consideration should be made to sanitize / spray detergent regularly in these areas!!
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Not sure how social distancing or how sanitation could be maintained 24/7 in toilets and pot wash areas. As most, if not all of us have these facilities on board is there a need to open the communal ones? After all, they are only as 'clean' as the last user. As far as CWPs are concerned individuals could be far more responsible for their own safety and the safety of fellow members with gloves and a good hand washing regime required. I wouldn't suggest that the club be responsible for that hand gel or gloves either. This new world will demand far more personal responsibility I reckon.
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