Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Masks

Now that masks started working for those of us not in health care (hint: they always did, if worn right) I am seeing lots more people wearing masks in public.

Sadly, while they are wearing masks, few of them are fitting those masks correctly. Some so incorrectly so as to provide pretty much ZERO protection.

I see folks with the masks gaping at the sides...which will help keep them from infecting ME with their coronavirus when they cough (somewhat, anyway) but not keep them from getting it when all that air leaks in unfiltered from the sides.

I also see folks wearing the mask over their mouths BUT NOT THE NOSE. Kinda foolish and meaningless there.

Also with only one of the straps.  Both the top and bottom straps are necessary.   Again, missing the point.

Not fitted at the bridge of the nose. Leaking all that air makes the mask effectively useless as a protection for the wearer.

Having a mask on but hanging over one ear doesn't do much for protection either. Hint: It has to COVER your mouth and nose.

Handmade masks: While I am not too certain that a layer or two of cotton cloth is that great of protection for the wearer, it is much better than nothing.....and it likely protects the rest of us from them rather than the other way around.

But, hey, at least they are trying, if very imperfectly. Or it could be simply a case of "monkey see, monkey do" ...or just plain fashion.

ETA: I am not a medical professional but was trained to fit particulate masks for dust and asbestos. So yeah, I can spot a bad fit pretty easily. 

3 comments:

Drake's Place said...

I also see folks wearing the mask over their mouths BUT NOT THE NOSE.
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That's what I've been seeing. They may as well take a paper punch and pop a few air holes into their masks.

DaveS said...

Just a reminder - a full 50% of the people out there graduated in the bottom half of their class. Or as I often say - "Most people are stupid".

Aesop said...

And this is exactly what the Surgeon general was trying to tell people from the get-go.

Give people masks, and they'll put them on wrong, and defeat the entire purpose.

Give most of them books, and they'll eat the covers for the paste.

it would've helped if, for the 20% of people who'd pay attention, they rolled this out as "If you're going to wear a mask, wear it right", instead of some PR hack spitballing "Masks don't work".

That guy should be found and flogged, in public.