Do you wear a mask in stores?

[fh2000]

I guess it’s safer to just card everyone. That’s what they do at the football games. Feels kinda silly getting my ID out for a beer, but they will not sell it without seeing ID. Takes away any judgement.

For all they know, you may be Benjamin Button.

 

[Kwirk]

Do we have any credible sources to validate this theory that wearing eye protection provides any real benefit? Even the masks we are wearing are not intended to prevent the virus from passing through them. They are only intended to reduce the spread of droplets when we open our own mouths.

From the American Academy of Opthalmology:



https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/coronavirus-covid19-eye-infection-pinkeye



Note item "2."

 

[Calico]

From the American Academy of Opthalmology:



https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/coronavirus-covid19-eye-infection-pinkeye



Note item "2."

Thanks for posting that! Now I don't feel silly for ordering swim goggles from Amazon this afternoon, to go with the fabric face mask and disposable gloves.

 

[Katsmeow]

I haven't been inside a store in over 3 weeks. I have been out a few times without getting out my car. DH has done a few contactless pickups at stores. But, he has to go to a store a few times. He didn't wear a mask before and not common in this area.

But today we ordered the masks from Etsy that Ready linked to. We shouldn't have to go into a store before they get here.

 

[rodi]

I've started wearing a mask when I go on my dog walks.
On my early morning dog walks 3 days ago I only saw 2 other people wearing a mask. (Out of about 20 people.)
Yesterday it was more crowded (how to do some serious gyrations to maintain social distaince) but 20% of the folks were wearing masks.
Today it was up to 2 out of 5 folks...

Now that all of us are gearing up to wear our masks to the grocery store, I hope to see the employees doing the same thing. After all we are doing it primarily to benefit them.

Here in San Diego they issued an order that all of the essential workers (grocery store, take out restaurant, etc.) wear masks. They haven't issued an order for the general population - just workers.... but they gave strong recommendations.

I expect Governor Newsom will issue a statewide order to wear cloth masks by the end of the week.

 

[tulak]

On the lighter side, more proof that Czechs are serious about wearing a face mask in public:

Czech nudists reprimanded by police for not wearing face-masks

“Citizens can be in places designed for this purpose without clothes”, commented police spokeswoman Marketa Janovska. “But they must have their mouths covered and must observe the numbers in which they can go into nature”.

https://kafkadesk.org/2020/04/05/czech-nudists-reprimanded-by-police-for-not-wearing-face-masks/

 

[NW-Bound]

On the lighter side, more proof that Czechs are serious about wearing a face mask in public:

Czech nudists reprimanded by police for not wearing face-masks

“Citizens can be in places designed for this purpose without clothes”, commented police spokeswoman Marketa Janovska. “But they must have their mouths covered and must observe the numbers in which they can go into nature”.

It is well known that the virus enters the human body via the mucous membranes in the mouth, nose, eyelids, windpipe, lungs, etc...

But where else in the body can one find mucous membranes? Think, think think...

You've got to cover the vulnerable parts. Just sayin'...

 

[harley]

I've started wearing a mask when I go on my dog walks.
On my early morning dog walks 3 days ago I only saw 2 other people wearing a mask. (Out of about 20 people.)
Yesterday it was more crowded (how to do some serious gyrations to maintain social distaince) but 20% of the folks were wearing masks.
Today it was up to 2 out of 5 folks...

DW and I went for a walk today, in our neighborhood. We didn't wear face masks. We were out for about a half hour or so, and didn't see a single other walker. Saw two people on bikes, but they were on the other side of the road. The most risky behavior we saw was two couples in a Bentley with the top down, and three jet skis puttering around a boat with a half dozen people in it (hopefully just a family) and talking to them from a distance of 15' or so. Maybe in the future we'll carry a mask with us, just in case.

DW ordered a couple of packs of these for us. I'm not anticipating going to any stores for about a month, but anywhere I go that's enclosed I'll be wearing one.

 

[Mulligan]

It starts Monday, so I expect a flood of Missourians headed towards Wyoming, Utah and the Dakotas. That was the mistake China made. They announced the closure of the city but gave people 48 hours notice. Estimates are that over one million citizens fled to other parts of China before the city was closed.

OTOH, the leaders of one Chinese village dug a huge hole in the road leading to their village in order to keep outsiders away.

See Chuck this is what happens when people become headline surfers and dont know the reality of the info at hand. No Missourians need to go anywhere to golf.

 

[MichaelB]

I went to the post office this morning. About 2/3 of the people had masks and gloves. Everyone was social distancing, aided by markings on the floor. None of the clerks wore masks or gloves, and their risk of contamination seems pretty high IMO. There was plastic hanging from ceiling to floor along the counter, but it was makeshift.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I went to the post office this morning. About 2/3 of the people had masks and gloves. Everyone was social distancing, aided by markings on the floor. None of the clerks wore masks or gloves, and their risk of contamination seems pretty high IMO. There was plastic hanging from ceiling to floor along the counter, but it was makeshift.

On a similar note, I am amazed how the USPS is doing so well on deliveries etc. I have had some packages delivered a day late, but under the circumstances I think that is amazing. IMHO their service is exemplary.

People complain about the USPS but they have not been exposed to Canada Post which is atrocious on a good day.

 

[sengsational]

Swim Goggles

Thanks for posting that! Now I don't feel silly for ordering swim goggles from Amazon this afternoon, to go with the fabric face mask and disposable gloves.

More than a month ago I bought goggles for a plane ride (that I didn't end up taking). I fitted them when they arrived, but haven't been near people, so haven't had to decide if looking goofy is worth the decrease in risk. Now that it's clear (to me at least) the party line of "it's not aerosols" has been breached, if I'm inside a building with people, I'm going to look goofy. I think aerosol risk is minimal when outside, so if golfers pay attention to surface contamination and stay 6 feet apart, that's probably safer than going into a doctor's office with an N95 mask and no sealed eye covering. JMHO.

 

[Rianne]

I wear a mask and gloves into the grocery store. Then occurred to me, does the virus stick to things? So I walk by floating aerosol, does it stick to my clothes or just float into my eyes and nostrils? I'm picturing this virus as a sea urchin but wonder if it bounces around rather than stick to things.

 

[karen1972]

Estsy, eBay, amazon for cloth face masks...

You can try, one person I know got theirs but I ordered from various places, and they keep moving all the shipping dates so now I'm looking at May delivery.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

My wife offered to make some for the folks on this site, but I am not sure that is allowed, so she has found a no sew version that anyone can make.

Here you go.

https://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie

Here is another:

https://giphy.com/gifs/mask-facemask-no-sew-XHXb2GdNeY7TkcQwhd

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I wear a mask and gloves into the grocery store. Then occurred to me, does the virus stick to things? So I walk by floating aerosol, does it stick to my clothes or just float into my eyes and nostrils? I'm picturing this virus as a sea urchin but wonder if it bounces around rather than stick to things.

Aeresolized droplets definitely land on things, but the most likely vector of infection is inhaling the virus into the lungs. The mucous membranes are also a possible vector, so if you don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you should be OK even if you have the live virus on your hands -- and then washing your hands with soap and water, as we've said, should kill any live virus that might be there. It could survive on paper or cardboard for up to 24 hours, so I would say roughly about the same for clothing that has been contaminated, so if you have someone who is immunocompromised and you enter an enclosed space like a store, you might want to change your clothes when you get home and put them right in the wash, but the virus really cannot become airborne again under normal circumstances.

 

[Rustic23]

aja888, I found a purpose for mine.

 

[Rianne]

Aeresolized droplets definitely land on things, but the most likely vector of infection is inhaling the virus into the lungs. The mucous membranes are also a possible vector, so if you don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you should be OK even if you have the live virus on your hands -- and then washing your hands with soap and water, as we've said, should kill any live virus that might be there. It could survive on paper or cardboard for up to 24 hours, so I would say roughly about the same for clothing that has been contaminated, so if you have someone who is immunocompromised and you enter an enclosed space like a store, you might want to change your clothes when you get home and put them right in the wash, but the virus really cannot become airborne again under normal circumstances.

Thanks for that. Brings me to another level of question. The virus is on cloths or packaging and I take that article outside and brush it off with gloves on my hand, hence it goes off my clothes into the air, now thinking of it like dust. It lands on something, since it's so small can get into crevices and get stuck in there like under fingernails or between skin wrinkles or under hair. I understand the need to kill it. But now I'm concerned about my hair. I touch it a lot, brush it, put it into ties (it's pretty long 5 inches or so below my shoulders). It touches my clothes, skin, face. I do not wash it everyday.

 

[gwraigty]

You can try, one person I know got theirs but I ordered from various places, and they keep moving all the shipping dates so now I'm looking at May delivery.

This is why I hope to not see a mandate for masks, whether by the government or the stores themselves, in the near-term future. People need time to prepare. Some people have reported that there's already been a run on supplies. Not everyone has stuff laying around the house they can use. Today I'm working on trying to be able to make a no-sew mask from whatever I have in the house. Hopefully, it'll work. If not, thanks for the heads-up on the long wait times now.

 

[tmm99]

This is why I hope to not see a mandate for masks, whether by the government or the stores themselves, in the near-term future. People need time to prepare. Some people have reported that there's already been a run on supplies. Not everyone has stuff laying around the house they can use. Today I'm working on trying to be able to make a no-sew mask from whatever I have in the house. Hopefully, it'll work. If not, thanks for the heads-up on the long wait times now.

I think most people have old bedsheets or extra pillowcases or two. We can be a bit creative with this in the meantime. Nobody is mandating we look fashionable.

 

[Aerides]

Etsy is actively encouraging its sellers to make and sell masks, as long as, of course, they don't market them as medical.

So, expect more to be added. And you might be surprised if you ask among your friends if someone is making them. Plenty of folks are crafty and are using their sewing machines right now - the only short supply is elastic.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Thanks for that. Brings me to another level of question. The virus is on cloths or packaging and I take that article outside and brush it off with gloves on my hand, hence it goes off my clothes into the air, now thinking of it like dust. It lands on something, since it's so small can get into crevices and get stuck in there like under fingernails or between skin wrinkles or under hair. I understand the need to kill it. But now I'm concerned about my hair. I touch it a lot, brush it, put it into ties (it's pretty long 5 inches or so below my shoulders). It touches my clothes, skin, face. I do not wash it everyday.

I would not brush anything off, ever. That actually could lead to increased inhalation risk, the primary route for this virus. If it cannot be washed with soapy water, then quarantine it and let it sit, based on the widely shared surface survivability by surface type; up to 24 hours for paper and cardboard, 2-3 days for plastic, glass, and metals other than copper. Sunlight helps but is not necessary.

I'd tie your hair up when going out or handling anything to be quarantined, and then immediately wash your hands before you touch anything else, and then you can let your hair down. Your hair coming into contact with something contaminated and going in your eyes or your mouth is a concern, as much as any fabric or textile would be, so since there's no way to keep it away from your face permanently, I'd concentrate on keeping it protected and away from contamination. In a pinch, for very short times you could also pull a jacket on over your hair, so that it is trapped. If it's 5" past your shoulders, that should work.

 

[Sunset]

Poor DH it’s totally messing with his phone Face ID.

Maybe this is a joke, in which case it is funny, otherwise it does push my button.

I don't touch my phone at all when I leave the car and put on my gloves, often I don't even touch my phone during my entire trip.
I don't want to cross contaminate my phone.

I generally put my phone in my pocket and leave it there until I'm back home and clean.

I just don't get people's need to constantly look at their phone, if the President wants to talk to me, he can leave a message and I'll call back in a couple of hours.

If I need a list, I write it on paper, as I can toss that way when done with it in the trash.

 

[Sunset]

IMO the asymptomatic transmission was well known early on in reports from China, and later from Diamond Princess results - certainly the common initial 2 days of no symptoms while being contagious (testing positive) was well known. There has been a lot of discussion in the media throughout that time. Also people being sick with super mild symptoms easily assumed to be a simple cold. But the CDC chose to downplay it. Was it because they didn’t know what to recommend? Or fear of causing panic?

And maybe because they had no tests, so the message would have been:
"Everyone might have the disease, treat everyone like they are infected, that healthy looking person beside you may be killing you"

 

[Sunset]

I don't. But if we can figure out how to whip one up at home, I will use it, if only to give others the peace of mind. Honestly, I've seen more than a few people from how their eyes look that they aren't exactly 100% healthy. It could be allergies, but they look downright miserable in some cases. I fear some people are deluding themselves into thinking that wearing a mask when not completely well (for whatever reason) will protect them and others. I'd rather encounter someone who is healthy without a mask than someone who isn't healthy with a mask on.

Too bad you can't tell the difference as everyone starts off infecting others while asymptomatic.