On wearing masks

[preraph]

Here in Dallas, it's still really active, worse than ever and people have busted loose and won't stay in or wear masks, a lot of them, and everyone is fighting about their rights like a bunch of yahoos.  What a load of hooey.  Truth is they just can't be bothered and aren't at that much risk and don't even care if they spread the disease to others, which they will.  I would get out and do it and work in public if my livelihood depended on it, take my chances, but I would have that on my conscience knowing I was making the problem worse.  No matter what the Constitution says.  It's the ones who aren't wearing them who are the most aggressive with those who are or who are staying in.  

[BC1980]

7 minutes ago, gaius said:

I'm in Alabama for the first time in a month or two and it's exactly like I remember it. Like no pandemic is going on. Not a whole lot of mask wearing or social distancing.

Despite their reputations Georgia and Florida seem a lot more well behaved. Even when Timshel and I swing by Wal-Mart in Florida almost everyone has mask on. Which is probably why despite lackluster lockdown orders and an influx of diseased New Yorkers it hasn't turned into the disaster it could have.

Everyone wearing a mask seems to be the way to go. I read that if two people are wearing masks, there is only a 5% transmission rate between those 2 people. Maybe if everyone wore a mask this thing would go away. 

[Redhead14]

1 minute ago, BC1980 said:

The issue with me wearing a mask is that it doesn't protect me. It protects other people.

This doesn't make sense to me.  If masks prevent people from blowing it out, it prevents people from breathing it in too.   That on top of washing hands and sanitizing surfaces etc. is all anyone can do.  We do have to be out and about sometimes.  I'm certainly limiting that as much as possible.  As if soap and water is enough to kill it on our hands, soap and water should be enough to kill it on surfaces so spending a lot of money on special cleaners doesn't make sense either.  Besides that, we can't even get those things now around here anyway.  So, I'm mostly using soap and water on my counters, door knobs, etc.  I'm saving wipes for wiping down groceries (except fruits and vegetables) just because it's easier to wipe them outside and then bring them in. 

[eleanorrigby]

My daughter says Los Angeles county made it official yesterday that you have to wear a mask anytime you're outside. I'm OK  with wearing the mask when I go into an establishment, that makes sense to me,  but I'm not wild about putting it on anytime I step outside. I am just having a very difficult time getting used to wearing a mask. 

I was in LA yesterday and from driving around and doing some shopping for my mother at several places, I'm seeing at least 90% compliance with mask wearing outdoors and 100% inside establishments (you can't gain entrance without one). We have to line up to get into the grocery stores, and stand on spaces marked off on the ground showing to  to maintain 6 feet of distance. 

I hate that this way of life may become the norm. 

[Redhead14]

6 minutes ago, eleanorrigby said:

My daughter says Los Angeles county made it official yesterday that you have to wear a mask anytime you're outside. I'm OK  with wearing the mask when I go into an establishment, that makes sense to me,  but I'm not wild about putting it on anytime I step outside. I am just having a very difficult time getting used to wearing a mask. 

I was in LA yesterday and from driving around and doing some shopping for my mother at several places, I'm seeing at least 90% compliance with mask wearing outdoors and 100% inside establishments (you can't gain entrance without one). We have to line up to get into the grocery stores, and stand on spaces marked off on the ground showing to  to maintain 6 feet of distance. 

I hate that this way of life may become the norm. 

I'vve been to LA.  I think everyone should have been wearing masks before the pandemic

[eleanorrigby]

1 minute ago, Redhead14 said:

I'vve been to LA.  I think everyone should have been wearing masks before the pandemic

Why? 

 

[Redhead14]

Just now, eleanorrigby said:

Why? 

 

Pollution . . .

[eleanorrigby]

🙂  Glad I asked. 

There is so much CA hate on this forum that I've become a bit sensitive to it and I thought it was another insult.  

[Redhead14]

10 minutes ago, eleanorrigby said:

My daughter says Los Angeles county made it official yesterday that you have to wear a mask anytime you're outside.

 

Do they mean when just out and about near your home?  Or just if you go to areas where you may be around people?  If they mean literally any time someone is outside, that makes me very nervous.  That would mean that it's fully airborne.  That would be very bad.

[eleanorrigby]

I have not looked into it fully, just going by what she mentioned to me yesterday, but yes, apparently LA county is requiring a mask when outdoors at all times and it looks as if that is what the majority are doing.  When we passed by a guy on the freeway yesterday wearing a mask and gloves in his car with the windows up all I could think was if it is this bad, this virus has beaten us already and we just don't know it yet.

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by eleanorrigby

[chillii]

There'd be no reason wearing that stuff in his car it'd be pointless unless he was stuck in traffic jambs with windows down and people walking through the cars or somem.

How are germs gonna get him driving along a freeway, you know.

[preraph]

50 minutes ago, gaius said:

I'm in Alabama for the first time in a month or two and it's exactly like I remember it. Like no pandemic is going on. Not a whole lot of mask wearing or social distancing.

Despite their reputations Georgia and Florida seem a lot more well behaved. Even when Timshel and I swing by Wal-Mart in Florida almost everyone has mask on. Which is probably why despite lackluster lockdown orders and an influx of diseased New Yorkers it hasn't turned into the disaster it could have.

There are some of the big stores who are trying to enforce everyone having masks on and social distancing, but there's a bunch of yahoos do you think it's more important to exercise their right to the detriment of everyone else. You know what, they just like to have arguments. Politicize everything. No common sense. And you'll hear people in media assigning it to Republicans, and there is a political divide on the subject but it's not a clean divide. The main problem is just young people who just won't stay home because they're young and don't give two craps.

[preraph]

1 hour ago, chillii said:

There'd be no reason wearing that stuff in his car it'd be pointless unless he was stuck in traffic jambs with windows down and people walking through the cars or somem.

How are germs gonna get him driving along a freeway, you know.

Well I agree with you, but I will say that one of our lines for covid-19 sting that was outdoors where you drove up in your car was shut down on a day when it was windy because they feel that the wind can the carry the virus.

[Highndry]

8 minutes ago, preraph said:

Well I agree with you, but I will say that one of our lines for covid-19 sting that was outdoors where you drove up in your car was shut down on a day when it was windy because they feel that the wind can the carry the virus.

I don't think anybody actually knows how far the wind can carry it, but they know it can carry it. Some studies are saying it is hitching a ride on pollution particles and traveling long distances, but they weren't sure how infectious it was though they detected it. The question I have is if I can smell the cigarette smoke that somebody blows out twenty feet away, could I be breathing the virus? I don't think anybody knows.

[preraph]

Yeah. There has been some testing that showed that people just breathing will leave tiny tiny particles of it in the air after they're gone. like they tested the air in the rooms after covid-19 patients were released and found detectable virus in the air. What they don't know is how much of a dose it takes to infect someone. You would think that by now they would start to get an idea. 

[greymatter]

There is a reason to be wearing a mask in the car. If you are out (let's say you need to go to the grocery store and then the hardware store), once you put a mask on, the outside of it is considered contamined and you shouldn't take it off or touch it until you are home and can dispose of it, or put it straight into the washing machine like I do. I have multi-layered cotton masks that get washed and dried. Masks are to protect others, so should be worn whenever it's impossible to maintain 6 feet of distancing at all times, including outdoors. If I am doing a few errands, once my mask goes on, I don't touch it until I'm home and can remove it by the earstraps and then wash my hands thoroughly before I touch anything. So you will see me in the car driving with a mask on because I've been somewhere and can't take it off yet, not because I'm worried about anything when I'm sealed up in my car.

We wear masks to protect each other, not so much for our own protection, because most non-medical masks are not capable to protecting us from the virus, but do protect others somewhat from droplets (much more than not wearing a mask) that we may send flying into the air when we talk, cough, breath heavily (as joggers do), or sneeze. You wear a mask to protect me, and I wear a mask to protect you. That's how people can help protect each other and stop the spread of the virus. 

Edited to add: I don't wear gloves because once you touch anything in a public place, they are contaminated. I wouldn't wear them and then contaminate surfaces in my car. When I'm out, I carry hand sanitizer, and, stores here are cleaning touch screens in between each customer. I clean my credit card with hand sanitizer after swiping it in a machine. I'm doing what I can to limit what I'm exposed to. 

Edited May 15, 2020 by greymatter

[gaius]

5 hours ago, BC1980 said:

Everyone wearing a mask seems to be the way to go. I read that if two people are wearing masks, there is only a 5% transmission rate between those 2 people. Maybe if everyone wore a mask this thing would go away. 

Indeed. With masks of all sorts becoming more accessible it makes a lot of sense to open most things back up but require mask usage. And if people want to be rebels without a cause about it then they can either stay home or be publicly shamed in a way we haven't seen since the blacklists of the McCarthy era. 

@Redhead14 I don't think masks are as ineffective in protecting you as they say. There's good evidence from China that for this particular virus they work well in defense as well. Even the surgical ones. But since all our scientists don't listen to anything China says in about a month from now they'll probably act like they just made some sort of discovery and you'll start seeing articles about how effective they actually are.

[sothereiwas]

Apparently the N95 masks I got way back when for use around the shop and general prepping are no good for some locales now. First it was that I shouldn't have an N95, now it's the valve that lets it breathe easier. I'm thinking to go full bandit and get out my bandana and hat. Strap on a S&W and I'm set. 

[chillii]

Anythings a help no brainer even the simplest masks , bandana , anything . Yada yada yeah some can still get through but l can tell you from spray painting anything will help even a rag , and stop most of it. Better most of it than none of it. And that's only if we're dumb enough to stand close enough in the first place which l ain't doing anyway until the coast is clear.

Edited May 15, 2020 by chillii

[gaius]

5 hours ago, preraph said:

There are some of the big stores who are trying to enforce everyone having masks on and social distancing, but there's a bunch of yahoos do you think it's more important to exercise their right to the detriment of everyone else. You know what, they just like to have arguments. Politicize everything. No common sense. And you'll hear people in media assigning it to Republicans, and there is a political divide on the subject but it's not a clean divide. The main problem is just young people who just won't stay home because they're young and don't give two craps.

Maybe we should start forcing people who won't wear masks to go volunteer in a Covid ward for a few days. Give them a dose of reality about what they're really contributing to. 

I used to be in Texas on a semi regular basis for my old job and always enjoyed the people and vibe there. Was always envious Buc-ees has 10x the gas pumps any of our stations do. Sorry to hear you're starting to get hit hard preraph.

[schlumpy]

10 hours ago, chillii said:

There'd be no reason wearing that stuff in his car it'd be pointless unless he was stuck in traffic jambs with windows down and people walking through the cars or somem.

How are germs gonna get him driving along a freeway, you know.

The only reason is convenience. I have a half-face mask made of rubber that I insert the filter into. Once I get that thing on and set, I don't want to take it off until I'm finished shopping. The gloves are for one use only. If I take them off then I better have another pair.

I go to several stores and shops so it's better just to leave it on until I'm actually done.

[Inflikted]

Since coming back to work, I've started wondering how safe driving with the windows open is.

Like, it's getting warm enough where it's too hot not to crack the windows when driving, but not hot enough to use the AC. So, I keep thinking, am I safe in my car? If I have the windows open, can the wind push it in (or even through the vents in the car)?

[amaysngrace]

I drive with my windows down but I live on the edge that way 🤣

[Redhead14]

14 minutes ago, Inflikted said:

Since coming back to work, I've started wondering how safe driving with the windows open is.

Like, it's getting warm enough where it's too hot not to crack the windows when driving, but not hot enough to use the AC. So, I keep thinking, am I safe in my car? If I have the windows open, can the wind push it in (or even through the vents in the car)?

So far, no one is saying that it is fully airborne.  If that were the case, none of the protections we've been using would be working and we'd be inundated with cases. 

[sothereiwas]

Recent reports say that incidents of outdoor transmission are extremely rare to the point of being hard to quantify. So there's that.