[bearcatter]

Looks like cloth masks may be the next "order". I read that some stores are requiring them, and the CDC has now "recommended" them. Trump seems to have a dispute with that.

I've tried several masks to block pollen doing yard work. They just gave me a hot, soggy face. Couldn't take one more than a few minutes. Just cloth to stop microscopic stuff doesn't make sense to me, anyway. It does do a great job of blocking air so you can't breathe........

 

[SmittyJ]

Personally, I think much of the argument is just because Trump even bothered to say anything at the beginning. The Asians have a culture where they wear masks all the time, all you have to do is watch the news or the food shows on the Travel channel to see them.

In this case, the masks don't protect you from the virus, it protects you from spreading it to someone else, but then, so does social distancing. Masks do help with pollen and pollution so that would probably explain China's fixation with masks.

 

[Terry_P]

The N95 masks block particulate getting into you. The cloth masks block you exhaling droplets and projecting them out 6' but do nothing protecting you from stuff coming in. A folded up paper towel will do the same thing. IMHO.

At home I have a respirator I wear when I spray Wet It and Forget It on the siding of the house and barn. It has replacement filters so not sure if that would work or not but it gets really nasty to wear after about 15 minutes.

 

[SmittyJ]

The N95 masks block particulate getting into you. The cloth masks block you exhaling droplets and projecting them out 6' but do nothing protecting you from stuff coming in. A folded up paper towel will do the same thing. IMHO.

At home I have a respirator I wear when I spray Wet It and Forget It on the siding of the house and barn. It has replacement filters so not sure if that would work or not but it gets really nasty to wear after about 15 minutes.

The issue with the N95 masks and the controversy is that, they are only needed in a hospital/close environment and a total waste in open air.

 

[Mister Dave]

These are the masks and filters we have. I already had one for working in my shop, but luckily found another at Home Depot for the wife. There were 2 left on the shelf.

Got the cartridges off of Amazon before they sold out too. P100 is good protection regardless of the mask type. Unlike cartridges meant for VOC filtering (I have those too), they have no expiration date printed on them.

These masks don't protect people from you much, but protect you well from them. I've found that they're easy to breathe through.

It's important to have a good seal around your face on the mask. If you have a beard it will have to go for the time being.

When things calm down I highly recommend that everyone get some.

 

[Terry_P]

That looks like the one I have. As I recall it has pinkish filters that screw into it on each side.

 

[Mister Dave]

About masks and respirators:

Respirators

Respirators are designed to reduce a worker's exposure to airborne contaminants. Respirators come in various sizes and must be individually selected to fit the wearer's face and to provide a tight seal. A proper seal between the user's face and the respirator forces inhaled air to be pulled through the respirator's filter material and not through gaps between the face and respirator.

Respirators offer the best protection for workers who must work closely (either in contact with or within 6 feet) with people who have influenza-like symptoms. These generally include those workers who work in occupations classified as very high exposure risk or high exposure risk to pandemic influenza. For additional information on very high and high exposure risk occupations, please refer to OSHA Publication No. 3327, entitled Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic, which can be found at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/pandemicinfluenza/index.html.
......................

Surgical Masks

Surgical masks are used as a physical barrier to protect the user from hazards, such as splashes of large droplets of blood or body fluids.

Surgical masks also protect other people against infection from the person wearing the surgical mask. Such masks trap large particles of body fluids that may contain bacteria or viruses expelled by the wearer.

Surgical masks are used for several different purposes, including the following:

Placed on sick people to limit the spread of infectious respiratory secretions to others.
Worn by healthcare providers to prevent accidental contamination of patients' wounds by the organisms normally present in mucus and saliva.
Worn by workers to protect themselves from splashes or sprays of blood or bodily fluids; they may also keep contaminated fingers/hands away from the mouth and nose.
Surgical masks are not designed or certified to prevent the inhalation of small airborne contaminants. These particles are not visible to the naked eye but may still be capable of causing infection. Surgical masks are not designed to seal tightly against the user's face. During inhalation, much of the potentially contaminated air can pass through gaps between the face and the surgical mask and not be pulled through the filter material of the mask. Their ability to filter small particles varies significantly based upon the type of material used to make the surgical mask, so they cannot be relied upon to protect workers against airborne infectious agents. Only surgical masks that are cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be legally marketed in the United States have been tested for their ability to resist blood and body fluids.

Oddly, the OSHA page this text came from, and the one referenced has been removed since I copied it about a week ago.

 

[SmittyJ]

Thanks for the info!

One thing I have noticed is there is some confusion in the news, intentional or not, over respirators. There are those just described but there are also machines called respirators similar to cpaps so it gets quite confusing! The Media seams to roll all of these different needs into one mass shortage.

 

[bearcatter]

If I have this straight, respirators are the masks that have filters on the side. Much better than a mask.

The big machines are ventilators; they force air into you.

In Capone's day, Tommy Guns were often called ventilators, and they let the air out of you.... :roll:

 

[Terry_P]

They need ventilators in church the Sunday after the baked bean supper on Saturday night.

 

[SmittyJ]

If I have this straight, respirators are the masks that have filters on the side. Much better than a mask.

The big machines are ventilators; they force air into you.

In Capone's day, Tommy Guns were often called ventilators, and they let the air out of you.... :roll:

Many in the Media also refer to the breathing machines used in the ICU's as respirators and ventilators. GM's forced contract got the $16,300 each for 30,000, not bad!

 

[Terry_P]

I worked just over 10 years with a GM facility as a bean counter and got a small retirement. The best thing is my employee discount on cars and trucks. Ventilators are one item I wouldn't want to use my discount on (not that I could).

 

[RidgeRunner]

Mask????????????

 

[Warbird]

Masks & Ventalors

Nothing can or will protect you from a virus. If it is going to get you it will allot like a tornado or hurricane. It is nature's way of weeding out things like of the people who buy massive amounts of toilet paper.

 

[SmittyJ]

I see in the news now , we have a racial problem with masks. Blacks are using bandanas and are being accused of being Gang members. ???? Easy fix, I would think, don't use bandanas!

 

[billt]

Nothing can or will protect you from a virus. If it is going to get you it will a lot like a tornado or hurricane.

That is actually very true. Masks are all political bull$h!t. Nothing more. They're about as good at stopping Covid, as chicken wire is at catching dust.

 

[RidgeRunner]

Like a frog in a pot of water. Bring the temp up slowly and he will stay in the pot 'til he boils.
Masks are a step in controlling the populace. They get you used to doing what they say.

 

[Terry_P]

We have worked pretty hard at staying away from the china flu. We have kept away from people, had groceries picked by a worker and brought to the car, if we need a few items then go to the local IGA right when they open in the morning. I go to the post office at odd times and we haven't dined in, in a restaurant since last February, mostly curbside. I suspect we just have been lucky that we haven't gotten it. We wear masks but have heard too many stories about those that did and still got it. We are 2 1/2 weeks away from getting the 2nd Covid shot and hoping after that we can return to a more normal life.

 

[SmittyJ]

The same for us Terry! Very little contact with family and meet neighbors at the package drop at the fence gate. Generally those retched plastic bags just appear with eggs or other goodies. I did venture to Ace a couple times this week for hot water tank parts, a space heater and yard light. First time out in months. 2021 is not starting well!

 

[Terry_P]

Had the heating element short out a couple years ago down here and after looking at the minerals that formed on it making it short I bought a spare once I changed out the bad one. Decided to get a socket that fits the heating element as well. I also started flushing the tank each month we are down here and when we leave we turn the power to the tank off and I flush again before we turn it back on in the fall.