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I'm not going to do searches for all the RELIABLE places that have disabused the idea that leaving a mask in the sun kills the virus - in fact, it degrades the paper masks and the good ones actually have warnings to not leave out in the sun.
I said "on my dashboard."
Those references cautioned against exposing masks to UV light. Most windshields are formulated to block UV light. Sunlight in my car won't even activate transition eyeglass lenses.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,450 posts, read 25,984,086 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roselvr
Are you working in the medical field?
Have you tried washing the N95 mask in a lingerie bag? You can do the same with the paper surgical masks. I don't dry them, I let them dry in the sun. They come out really well
Check her profile it's right there in her profile.
Face shields offer a number of advantages. While medical masks have limited durability and little potential for reprocessing, face shields can be reused indefinitely and are easily cleaned with soap and water or common household disinfectants. They are comfortable to wear, protect the portals of viral entry, and reduce the potential for autoinoculation by preventing the wearer from touching their face. People wearing medical masks often have to remove them to communicate with others around them; this is not necessary with face shields. The use of a face shield is also a reminder to maintain social distancing but allows visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception.
Most important, face shields appear to significantly reduce the amount of inhalation exposure to influenza virus, another droplet-spread respiratory virus. In a simulation study, face shields were shown to reduce immediate viral exposure by 96%
There is mask fatigue. I see people go into stores and then drop their masks to their chin while shopping. I see others with bandanas over their mouth and other forms of so called masks that do little to protect themselves or others. Store clerks where masks are required drop them to their chin. A mask is zero percent effective if you are not actually wearing it. And they are as little as 6% effective if you are wearing the wrong face covering. Most people just want to be allowed into stores that require face coverings and are not really concerned about how well they actually work. You can quote research where its assumed people are doing the right thing all the time but that is not how it really works.
Face shields are easier to wear. That alone make them more likely to be worn. I linked the data to back up their effectiveness. As a proud face shield wearer I can attest to the fact they are easy to wear for hours.
In a perfect world everyone has an unlimited supply of N95 masks and wears them religiously all the time when around others. We do not live in a perfect world. I will keep using my face shield.
Last edited by Oklazona Bound; 09-01-2020 at 09:07 PM..
Face shields offer a number of advantages. While medical masks have limited durability and little potential for reprocessing, face shields can be reused indefinitely and are easily cleaned with soap and water or common household disinfectants. They are comfortable to wear, protect the portals of viral entry, and reduce the potential for autoinoculation by preventing the wearer from touching their face. People wearing medical masks often have to remove them to communicate with others around them; this is not necessary with face shields. The use of a face shield is also a reminder to maintain social distancing but allows visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception.
Most important, face shields appear to significantly reduce the amount of inhalation exposure to influenza virus, another droplet-spread respiratory virus. In a simulation study, face shields were shown to reduce immediate viral exposure by 96%
There is mask fatigue. I see people go into stores and then drop their masks to their chin while shopping. I see others with bandanas over their mouth and other forms of so called masks that do little to protect themselves or others. Store clerks where masks are required drop them to their chin. A mask is zero percent effective if you are not actually wearing it. And they are as little as 6% effective if you are wearing the wrong face covering. Most people just want to be allowed into stores that require face coverings and are not really concerned about how well they actually work. You can quote research where its assumed people are doing the right thing all the time but that is not how it really works.
Face shields are easier to wear. That alone make them more likely to be worn. I linked the data to back up their effectiveness. As a proud face shield wearer I can attest to the fact they are easy to wear for hours.
In a perfect world everyone has an unlimited supply of N95 masks and wears them religiously all the time when around others. We do not live in a perfect world. I will keep using my face shield.
The problem is that when you got to what you wanted to hear, you stopped reading.
It's now ascertained that infection by pure airborne transmission is just as likely as by droplets. That's how entire church congregations, restaurant and bus populations have become infected, and shields would not have prevented those infections.
There were multiple reports on several news stations just today that face shields are NOT the best protection, they block large particles but the smaller do get under - best are: cloth, face shields WITH a mask, surgical masks (NOT any w/the valve).
You CANNOT wash paper masks - they are meant to be disposed of (and cut the ear loops to protect wildlife) - do NOT have them out in sun which degrades them!
I prefer cloth masks. I found some on Etsy that fit me well. I have several; they hang on a hook near the back door so I can grab one as I run out. When I get home, I hand wash them and hang them on another hook to dry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igor Blevin
It sickens me to see people embrace them as a fashion statement or a fun item of clothing. They are not. They are a medical necessity at best and should be seen and treated that way.
How bitter and petty this post is! I can't imagine begrudging someone else a little fun with a "medical necessity". I guess casts shouldn't be made in fun colors, and pediatric nurses shouldn't wear scrubs with cute kid-friendly prints to work, and we all should wear sackcloth and army boots every day.
I hate them all and refuse to get used to any of them. I will not be programmed to accept masks as the "new normal". The sooner we get back to not wearing masks as a matter of course in our daily lives, the better.
Mask are a necessary evil at best. It sickens me to see people embrace them as a fashion statement or a fun item of clothing. They are not. They are a medical necessity at best and should be seen and treated that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
...How bitter and petty this post is! I can't imagine begrudging someone else a little fun with a "medical necessity". I guess casts shouldn't be made in fun colors, and pediatric nurses shouldn't wear scrubs with cute kid-friendly prints to work, and we all should wear sackcloth and army boots every day.
I agree w/ Ohiogirl81! We have to wear them, so definitely no harm in having them in fun colors, patterns, etc.
Igor Blevin, well, might as well get used to it because you'll probably be seeing masks, shields, etc. for quite a while longer.
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