TA.b - Mask Talk 5.20

While most of the posts I make here are auto-centric, I felt the need to talk about face masks in this age of pandemic. Since COVID-19 grabbed the World by the throat and refused to let go, people have been forced into new ways of living...and thinking for that matter. One of the big questions (besides "Will I survive this disease?") is when will things go back to "normal" (insert your normal here). The answer is possibly never. Some of the changes we make today may be around for a long while and one of those changes is the wearing of face masks.

Face masks for health professionals provide some protection from those with COVID-19 and generally include some space-age paper/fabric and possibly a plastic shield. They are disposable and must be changed frequently to be effective.

The face masks we wear (usually fabric) are washable (unless made of paper) and provide minimal protection from folks spewing their pestilence upon us. What they mostly provide is protection for others from anything you may have including colds, etc. That's the big benefit. As such, they're also effective at reducing the spread of the virus. I live in the Los Angeles area and our local governments are taking this very seriously. The suburb I live in has required face masks outside the home for a couple of weeks (we had a spike in cases). Since then, the city and county of Los Angeles has implemented a similar ordinance. What really gets me are the folks that think that these regulations don't apply to them. Especially the joggers. Joggers typically say (speak in a whiny voice), "it's too hard," or "I can't breathe." Thought you were the "healthy ones." You (the joggers) should have great lung function. And, to make matters worse, when we jog the germs we spew travel farther (12 to 20 feet) so six-feet distancing doesn't work. I'm not saying stop jogging. I'm saying wear a mask. Remember more than a third of folks with the virus are asymptomatic meaning they don't look or sound sick, but they are contagious. 

You may ask why I'm so concerned.

I have had compromised lungs since childhood for one thing. This makes me at greater risk than most and means COVID-19 might be fatal for me. Am I or anyone sure that COVID-19 would kill us?  No and that's one of the points. There is xoooo much we don't know about this disease which means it will probably be around for a while. The fact that it might come back even stronger at some point in the future is also worrisome. At the time that I wrote this, there were 1.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 leading to more than 85,000 deaths in the US alone. Since testing isn't widely available still, there may be many more cases (probably asymptomatic).

Many online retailers are selling washable daily-use masks. like Old Navy and I think Etsy. I'm sure Amazon can hook you up too. My masks are fabric made from various textiles based on articles explaining which fabrics are best. An acquaintance makes masks (see pic) for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to a fund that buys PPE for healthcare workers. The cool thing about getting masks made for you is that changes can be made like the inclusion of pipe cleaners to improve the fit/seal around the nose. Plus they look cooler than most. I have one mask that has some denim in it (which is shown to be a good filter fabric) but it stretches easily and needs washing more than others. So get used to it. You might save someones life. Maybe your own. Link below explains hot to properly wash your masks. Signs posted around a local jogging/walking trail said it all. "Doesn't matter (I paraphrase) if you're Mark, Kate, or Larry, if you don't wear a mask, you're Typhoid Mary." Good one. Photo courtesy of Jason Jenn, mask maker.

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