Masks

SuperRabbit

First worker: This is great! I normally hate my job but right now we are really helping people. These will save lives
Other worker: wait a minute, aren't Europeans giant?
First worker: That's a myth

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0403/1128300-ppe-covid-19-ireland/

Anyone who's ever order leggings from china is like ARE YOU KIDDING ME right now

Gowns look easier to make than masks even

riffmongous

SuperRabbit wrote: »

First worker: This is great! I normally hate my job but right now we are really helping people. These will save lives
Other worker: wait a minute, aren't Europeans giant?
First worker: That's a myth

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0403/1128300-ppe-covid-19-ireland/

Anyone who's ever order leggings from china is like ARE YOU KIDDING ME right now

Gowns look easier to make than masks even

How much is it though? There will always be some amount that is unusable, hence first thing you do when you get any ppe is inspect it. The question is really what % is bad

SuperRabbit

I imagine they now have enough for all their short nurses. It really looks like the old problem of sending clothes that would be fine for Asian people, it's a really common thing it happens all the time, hence my leggings comment. The other thing is that the healthcare staff are complaining the fabric is too thin, which might be true of 100% of it

GreeBo

Yes: other

farmchoice wrote: »

masks are super useful in certain situations and personally i would support an order that the whole population should wear one when out and about.
beacause it would reduce the spread.


across the population as a whole masks will help to stop the contagious spreading it.

ok, but this attitude seems to contradict your original posts about masks increasing your risk...?

Class MayDresser

farmchoice wrote: »

if however it was only you or only a few people then you have probably increased your chances of actually getting it ( incredibly low to start with anyway but still probably a tiny bit higer).

What kind of warped logic is that? I'm wearing the mask, I'm not inhaling any droplets, I'm not exhaling any droplets into common air, why are my chances increase?
Fits snugly as it's double banded, went a whole hour without my hands above my chin line, only thing I was missing were goggles. How in the hell are my chances of becoming infected increased in my scenario. Explain that.
Christ.

GreeBo

Yes: other

gozunda wrote: »

You did indeed. Whether English is your first language or otherwise (and frankly I dont know) what you wrote about people "embracing" in that sentence makes no sense whatsover. Not anyone else's fault for your extremely strange phraseology.

The standard phrase is 'risk taking' btw.

Mate, you are being ridiculous now.

Is English *your* first language? You are the only English speaking person on the planet who reads "people are more risk embracing" and thinks its a point about people hugging each other more.

riffmongous

Class MayDresser wrote: »

What kind of warped logic is that? I'm wearing the mask, I'm not inhaling any droplets, I'm not exhaling any droplets into common air, why are my chances increase?
Fits snugly as it's double banded, went a whole hour without my hands above my chin line, only thing I was missing were goggles. How in the hell are my chances of becoming infected increased in my scenario. Explain that.
Christ.

Yes you are if you are using a 3m 9332, it's a valved mask

MadYaker

Yes: surgical

It seems logical to me that if everyone wears masks transmission of the virus will be reduced. But I don't think the gov want to say it out loud because there's fcuk all masks to be had and the nurses and doctors need them more than average joe like me. Yes I know people can make their own but most won't bother they'll try and buy one and they likely be won't be able to so I think the gov telling everyone to wear masks would mostly just cause confusion and panic.

Class MayDresser

riffmongous wrote: »

Yes you are if you are using a 3m 9332, it's a valved mask

I stand corrected. Which would strengthen the need for everyone to wear one.

How are my chances of infection increased farmchoice?

Neyite

Yes: valved

I made two basic masks yesterday. Once I figured out the folding of the pleats, they were very quick to make. I'll be giving them to an at-risk relative when I had over their meds at the weekend and I plan to make more for family members.

It's a pleated mask that has a pocket for additional filter - I'm seeing online that a dried baby wipe is suggested so that's what I used. This fits a female face (mine!) so adjust the fabric width and length by a cm or two for male, or reduce for a child.

You'll need:

• Rectangle of fabric about 40cm x 20cm. I used non stretch woven cotton.
• Bias binding 160cm
• bendable wire -10cm - I used the double wire strip from a coffee bag trimmed but you could use any kind of pliable wire such as twist ties, or modelling wire.

Sew a half-cm seam at either short end. Measure 4 or 5cm from that edge and fold fabric wrong sides together. Then measure 4 or 5cm from the folded edge on both ends and this is where you'll start your pleats. Faff around with a few pins until you get even pleats you are happy with. 3 pleats is plenty.

Flip it over once pinned to check that the both edges at the back that form your pocket meet evenly. To add the wire for the nose bridge, sew a half-cm away from your top edge of the mask for about 7cm ensuring you've a bit of room either side to slide in the wire inside. Remember to take that out when you are washing it in case it rusts.

Cut the bias binding in half to give you 80cm each side. Fold them lengthways and iron. Pin it evenly to either side of the mask with enough ties to meet around the back of your head. Run it through the sewing machine.

Trim the babywipe to fit and insert.

For kids ones, you could use a buttonhole elastic that is one long strip on one side of the mask with a button on the other side of the mask and elasticate the sides of the mask to ensure a better fit. If you've no access to a haberdashers and don't want to order online, lots of boys trousers these days have that kind of elastic in the waistband that you could unpick and use.

---

If you wanted to make just a simple snood /buff out of stretch jersey it's even simpler and looks less like a mask if you are self concious about wearing one. All you need is about 55cm x 40cm of jersey (maybe a cm or two more for adult male) medium weight jersey - something thicker than a t-shirt but thinner than a fleece lined hoody. Join with a seam on the shorter edge right sides together. Turn right sides out fold wrong sides together horizontally. Fold raw edges inwards and sew a topstich to neaten edges.

MadYaker

Yes: surgical

They do seem to make people touch their faces more which isn't good. Saw a few people wearing them in supermarkets and they were all adjusting them or moving them up and down to talk.

Kivaro

Yes: valved

MadYaker wrote: »

They do seem to make people touch their faces more which isn't good. Saw a few people wearing them in supermarkets and they were all adjusting them or moving them up and down to talk.

Which is why the government should be issuing public service announcements on how to wear masks correctly, and other similar matters.

Neyite

Yes: valved

MadYaker wrote: »

They do seem to make people touch their faces more which isn't good. Saw a few people wearing them in supermarkets and they were all adjusting them or moving them up and down to talk.

Just like gloves, there will never be perfect usage. And people using them badly is probably feck all good except for the fact that likely these mouthbreathers that do fiddle with them a lot are exactly the kind of idiots that cough right on the back of your neck in the queue because social distancing markers on the floor are irrelevant to them. So masking them up helps somewhat but not perfectly.

There are lots and lots of people who are clueless about transfer. I wouldn't know much but I did watch enough CSI crap to give me the basic overview. I wear gloves doing the shopping. Especially since seeing the fcukwit in the veg aisle the first week of lockdown sanitise his hands at the entrance, immediately coughed and sneezed into his open palm several times, then paw all the fresh ginger root with the same hands before finally selecting one. The indian curry I'd planned for dinner got an abrupt rethink. <puke emoji> I plan to wear a mask now in shops as well.

I put on the gloves outside of the car, I do the shopping, and once the bags are in the boot, they get binned before I sit into the car again. A fresh pair of gloves then to unload the shopping from the bag onto a table in the hall. Groceries are taken out of external packaging at that point too if possible or packaging given a wipe with disinfectant before it gets any further into the house.

I've got a shoe disinfection station at my front door as well. There's a basin with a puddle of disinfectant for shoe soles to get dipped in and then they go on the rack beside it. We step onto a towel in our socks then into our indoor shoes. Even our 7yo gets the invisible line where the shoes don't cross over.
I know it's not foolproof, but the more we try to find ways of interrupting potential transmission of it the better.

khalessi

Yes: surgical

I do similar Neyite gloves and mask with a snood to the shops. Sterilise handle of trolley on way in. Sterilise gloves on way out. Pack messages into boot. Remove gloves sterilise door handle and steering wheel then fresh gloves to unload shopping. I then leave it siting for a whle to de germ or remove packaging and repacking in freezer bags if for freezer as takes up less space

Shoes off on entering house and clothes in washing machine

Kivaro

Yes: valved

By the way, just in case it wasn't posted already:

Part of the consignment of Personal Protective Equipment which was recently distributed to Covid-19 test centres, mobile ambulance units and hospitals is being described as "not fit for purpose" and "unusable" by medical staff.

Another indicator that we should be doing this in-house (in-country).

fryup

No: I don't care enough

how long will it be before we see newscasters wearing masks?

SuperRabbit

fryup wrote: »

how long will it be before we see newscasters wearing masks?

I'd like to see them wearing home-made masks, not because they need them but because they should model kind behaviour and normalize mask-wearing

stockshares

What would be the best standard of Mask to get after the Healthcare workers have gotten theirs first.

I'm considering getting some for family but only if they are not in short supply.

Living Off The Splash

Yes: homemade

I had my mask on this morning. It kept slipping on my face. Had to adjust it which defeats the purpose of it. I was wearing glasses also but the steam from my breath kept fogging them up. No wonder people are wearing face visors over their mask to stop this happening.
Anyone know where to get the face visors that cover your entire face?

s7ryf3925pivug

Yes: other

stockshares wrote: »

What would be the best standard of Mask to get after the Healthcare workers have gotten theirs first.

I'm considering getting some for family but only if they are not in short supply.

Ffp3 masks are the best for reducing the wearer's exposure. I don't think healthcare workers are usually supplied with these although they obviously should be.

ijohhj

I wish I could find any useful supplies. Haven't seen a bottle of hand sanitizer in weeks.

Kivaro

Kivaro wrote: »

By the way, just in case it wasn't posted already:
Another indicator that we should be doing this in-house (in-country).

I called it a week ago:

Deleted User wrote:

The PPE supplies we are flying in from China is absolute junk. Most of it will be defective.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=113001380&postcount=48

zerosugarbuzz

Yes: surgical

Been wearing a mask (the type you’d buy in a DIY shop) for the past week. I wear them when I go to the shops. If anything happens to them I’ll make my own, feel much safer with them. The must be a factory in Ireland that can start making these quickly. Such a simple thing for anyone who can use a sewing machine to run up.

YFlyer

khalessi wrote: »

I do similar Neyite gloves and mask with a snood to the shops. Sterilise handle of trolley on way in. Sterilise gloves on way out. Pack messages into boot. Remove gloves sterilise door handle and steering wheel then fresh gloves to unload shopping. I then leave it siting for a whle to de germ or remove packaging and repacking in freezer bags if for freezer as takes up less space

Shoes off on entering house and clothes in washing machine

Wash hands during any of that ritual?

YFlyer

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Been wearing a mask (the type you’d buy in a DIY shop) for the past week. I wear them when I go to the shops. If anything happens to them I’ll make my own, feel much safer with them. The must be a factory in Ireland that can start making these quickly. Such a simple thing for anyone who can use a sewing machine to run up.

Factory in Kilmallock, Limerick.

stockshares

April Proud Hoof wrote: »

Ffp3 masks are the best for reducing the wearer's exposure. I don't think healthcare workers are usually supplied with these although they obviously should be.

Many thanks, as a matter of interest do you know what type of mask Healthcare staff wear and what type arrived in the recent order from China?

Neyite

Yes: valved

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Such a simple thing for anyone who can use a sewing machine to run up.

There's no shortage of sewing machines but the raw materials could pose a problem to procure.

riffmongous

biko wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/worl...rity-1.4216184
Quote:
Coronavirus: European solidarity sidelined as French interests take priority
Row over face masks exposes threat to EU principles of free trade and collaboration

Mölnlycke’s entire stock of an estimated six million masks was seized by the French.

All had been contracted for, including a million masks each for France, Italy and Spain. The rest were destined for Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland, which has special trading status with the EU.

I just read now that similar has happened to the French with the US unofficially buying out a consignment of masks on the runway

Coronavirus masks that France ordered from China were bought at the last minute by the United States as they waited to be loaded onto cargo planes, French officials have said.

"Americans pay three or four times the amount we pay, and in cash," said Jean Rottner, head of France's eastern region, one of the areas worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak, according to reports by France Info.

On Thursday, a planeload of Chinese-made face masks were bought up right on the tarmac just as the much needed protective gear was about to set off for France.

"We're working around the clock to ensure these masks arrive," says Rottner, blaming unfair competition for delays.

http://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20200402-china-coronavirus-face-mask-france-stolen-us

s7ryf3925pivug

Yes: other

stockshares wrote: »

Many thanks, as a matter of interest do you know what type of mask Healthcare staff wear and what type arrived in the recent order from China?

I just done a search. Do you mean any of these?
https://www.huntoffice.ie/office/dust-masks-ffp3

In normal curcumstances who would have been reliable to purchase from in Ireland before the outbreak.

Yes those are ffp3 masks.
I've bought masks from screwfix, b&q, homebase and the farmers' co-op superstore. There were plenty still available in the last long after everywhere else I looked was sold out. All fine. Prices were between 5 and 10 euro per mask typically.
Fit is very important so don't get lots of a particular mask without trying it first.
These masks are useless for preventing the wearer from spreading the virus to others because they have a valve that lets out what you exhale. This is so they don't become damp and means they last much longer.
I read about a study (unrelated to covid) where the failure rate of masks was about 50%. This was partly to do with fit as far as I recall. Cost was not a reliable predictor of failure. 100% of the horizontal fold ones tested failed to filter according to spec.
I've used the jsb netted moulded ones doing extremely dusty diy stuff and had no phlegm or sore throat afterwards. So I know those particular ones work for me personally, for whatever that's worth.

Edit: I think healthcare workers only get basic surfical masks in general and ffp2 masks if they are doing something particularly hazardous. Just my not totally reliable recollection of something I probably read here. Ffp2 masks are decent but filter less effectively than ffp3.

I don"t know what the story is with the Chinese supplies. I heard that they are too heavy to be practical for healthcare workers. I saw an article in The Guardian saying that a lot of Chinese masks were being flagged as defective by receiving countries. So I guess one or both of those.

iamwhoiam

Neyite wrote: »

There's no shortage of sewing machines but the raw materials could pose a problem to procure.

I am going to cut up some old t shirts to make them .