Should you wear a mask when you go outside or go shopping?

[DL45]

Professor Van Tam at yesterday's press briefing said that at this time that the UK would not be suggesting masks were worn

[Lolalee1]

I was told only to wear a mask if you have a cough,plus here you can’t get any.

[NancyW]

There are videos popping up on how to easily make your own mask.

Our surgeon general has one on the cdc website, a cloth, bandana, even a square cut from an old tshirt, folded and a rubberband on each side.

He also mentioned using a scarf, which seems more appealing to me at the moment.
If I am understanding correctly, this is to help prevent asymptomatic cases from spreading as much.

Is that right?

[MyNameIsTerry]

If you are going to wear something like a scarf you need to think about how often and how you remove it. The point is the germ are captured on the outside. Like with a mask this will mean not putting your hands on those parts since masks are removed from behind the head. But what about cleaning it?

[dorabella]

Well I made my weekly trek down to the mini-market at the end of my road this morning. It was well stocked, had new screens installed around the two cash desks ... and there was no-one in there. Had my scarf around my neck in case of need ... which there wasn't until a group of young men came in - 4 of them - who certainly weren't distancing themselves from each other, not were they making any effort to keep back from me. Told the one approaching me to step back and keep his distance whilst the other 3 piled up behind each other.

Luckily I had just completed my purchase and left the shop quite quickly. Got back home, washed face, hands and hair (it was due tor a wash), as were the clothes I had on.

However, what gets me is that it is always groups of young men who pile in together in shops, walk in groups across the pavement, sit drinking on the green opposite my house. Not a copper in sight either to break these groups up, or to check the increasing incidences of speeding cars taking advantage of the empty road to indulge in speed trials with the band of motorcyclists past my house. This has been going on for years incidentally during hours of darkness, now they are brazenly doing it in daylight.

This is only in north London - I pity the poor souls resident on the coastal resorts and beauty spots who are going to be deluged by more of these morons over Easter.

[DL45]

If you are going to wear something like a scarf you need to think about how often and how you remove it. The point is the germ are captured on the outside. Like with a mask this will mean not putting your hands on those parts since masks are removed from behind the head. But what about cleaning it?

I've saved a you tube video posted by a doctor on how to make own so going to dust down my machine and make some - will be machine washable. But in meantime, yes a scarf to chuck straight in the wash - but you really will have to think about where you place your hands when removing it to the washer,

[debs71]

There is no need to wear a mask if you are healthy, not showing symptoms yourself and if you are not in contact with a TESTED and POSITIVE Covid-19 patient/sufferer. This has been said over and over by medical experts, but people still carry on wearing them regardless, at least here in London, and at a time when the NHS are struggling to even get masks available to them.

Also, most people I have seen are wearing the standard surgical masks which do nothing. The only ones that even vaguely protect are masks with filters on (FFP3 and N95 masks) that filter out tiny particles. The standard masks can still let small particles in. So standard masks will protect OTHERS if you are coughing and spluttering, but they will do NOTHING for you! The FFP3/N95 masks are the ones used by hospitals, so every person who has obtained one has basically shortened the supply of hospitals who need them much more than they do!

My personal believe is that people do this to comfort themselves, despite government advice.

The virus can also enter through the eyes anyway. All this mask stuff is just irritating and totally selfish of the public. As a former nurse myself, I find it galling when hospital staff are scrabbling around for masks and the public are strolling around in them.

[glassgirlw]

Our CDC here in the states changed their recommendation yesterday that people in public in areas where social distancing is more difficult (grocery stores, etc) should wear face coverings. I don’t think it’s so much to protect you from getting it, but to help prevent your germs that you may be carrying from spreading as far. I went ahead and sewed up a couple this morning as I’m a quilter and have a ton of fabric supplies on hand. And some of our local hospitals and nursing homes are accepting donations of them to wear over the N95’s that are in short supply here.

[pulisa]

There is no need to wear a mask if you are healthy, not showing symptoms yourself and if you are not in contact with a TESTED and POSITIVE Covid-19 patient/sufferer. This has been said over and over by medical experts, but people still carry on wearing them regardless, at least here in London, and at a time when the NHS are struggling to even get masks available to them.

Also, most people I have seen are wearing the standard surgical masks which do nothing. The only ones that even vaguely protect are masks with filters on (FFP3 and N95 masks) that filter out tiny particles. The standard masks can still let small particles in. So standard masks will protect OTHERS if you are coughing and spluttering, but they will do NOTHING for you! The FFP3/N95 masks are the ones used by hospitals, so every person who has obtained one has basically shortened the supply of hospitals who need them much more than they do!

My personal believe is that people do this to comfort themselves, despite government advice.

The virus can also enter through the eyes anyway. All this mask stuff is just irritating and totally selfish of the public. As a former nurse myself, I find it galling when hospital staff are scrabbling around for masks and the public are strolling around in them.

Well said, Debs.

[DL45]

Agree entirely about the NHS, Carers, Community staff needing the correct PPE which of course will change dependant on their role.

Anybody who tries to get hold of stuff that should go to them really isn't being very helpful.

But I sense that more and more people will take it upon themselves to want to wear them, because they are generally more worried - you only have to look at the way people look at each other these days - I've not been out for over a week because I am self isolating, but prior to that people had started to look quite strangely at each other.

I am not endorsing the use of masks - I am ex Nurse and similarly to the hand sanitiser situation, am pretty furious the way the general public behave with regards to supplies that are needed by those working desperately to save lives and protect the general public. What I was saying is that in anticipation that UK government guidance will change -it may, it may not - there are other ways to protect the nasal passages and airways without taking up medical stock.