1) Unless you're a first responder or otherwise putting yourself frequently in close contact with infected people, masks are most effective for protecting other people from your droplets, not for protecting you. If you're sick, stay home and don't accept visitors—no mask needed. If you stay home for two to three weeks and don't get sick, or get over any illness you have, you don't need to worry about getting other people sick—no mask needed.
2) Personal protective equipment is a poor second-best; the safest path is complete avoidance of the dangerous situation. Condoms exist because people enjoy sex enough to do it despite the risk, and face masks exist because people want to leave their houses enough to do it despite the risk. But abstinence is best.
So I doubt I'll be either making or buying a mask anytime soon. I might wear a scarf over my face when I go out, but it would just be there to remind me not to scratch my nose.
As it happens, last month we bought two cases of nitrile gloves. (We mostly use them for cooking and cleaning. I think it took us five years to go through our last two-case order; we just habitually buy in bulk.) I've written to our local city council member to ask how to donate them.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2020-03-22 05:01 am (UTC)I keep in mind two things, though:
1) Unless you're a first responder or otherwise putting yourself frequently in close contact with infected people, masks are most effective for protecting other people from your droplets, not for protecting you. If you're sick, stay home and don't accept visitors—no mask needed. If you stay home for two to three weeks and don't get sick, or get over any illness you have, you don't need to worry about getting other people sick—no mask needed.
2) Personal protective equipment is a poor second-best; the safest path is complete avoidance of the dangerous situation. Condoms exist because people enjoy sex enough to do it despite the risk, and face masks exist because people want to leave their houses enough to do it despite the risk. But abstinence is best.
So I doubt I'll be either making or buying a mask anytime soon. I might wear a scarf over my face when I go out, but it would just be there to remind me not to scratch my nose.
As it happens, last month we bought two cases of nitrile gloves. (We mostly use them for cooking and cleaning. I think it took us five years to go through our last two-case order; we just habitually buy in bulk.) I've written to our local city council member to ask how to donate them.