Save today, so you can
buy tomorrow
| No answer to your question. But I would like to add that healthcare workers should get all the PPE they need to safely do their jobs (protect their patients and themselves). My wife is a nurse, woking 12-13 hr shift. They are only allowed to use 1 mask (regular, non-N95) for the entire day. One mask, seeing up to 45 patients in 12-13 Hr shift. That is ridiculous.
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| | | Posts: 1887 | Location: Las Vegas | Registered: November 05, 2003 | 
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| I agree that medical staff should get everything they need, but that does not seem to be happening. Here is an article on the subject with some test results. https://www.researchgate.net/p...n_Influenza_PandemicSeems Vacuum cleaner bag material is the best choice for filtering.
“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”
― Ronald Reagan
Retired old fart
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| | | Posts: 6487 | Location: Near the Beaverdam in VA | Registered: February 13, 2005 |
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| Have read today that people are using AC filters and make masks out of them. Also “non-woven interfacing” from a fabric store, some Walmarts carry it if they have a sewing section.
I have downloaded a pattern for a fabric mask today with elastic bands.
You can email me at cvinternet3@gmail.com if you want me to send it you. |
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| quote: Originally posted by ador:
No answer to your question. But I would like to add that healthcare workers should get all the PPE they need to safely do their jobs (protect their patients and themselves). My wife is a nurse, woking 12-13 hr shift. They are only allowed to use 1 mask (regular, non-N95) for the entire day. One mask, seeing up to 45 patients in 12-13
Hr shift. That is ridiculous.
Sure, but it's kind of like government spending - where does it come from? When hospitals suddenly want to use a hundred times as much PPE as they normally do (not to mention all the random schmucks buying as much of it as they can lay hands on), the PPE literally doesn't exist for them to do so on an ongoing basis. I'm sure manufacturing will increase, but with a sudden, huge spike in demand across the entire world, the PPE just isn't there and it will take time, maybe a lot of time, for manufacturing and shipping to catch up. That puts healthcare providers in a really bad position right now. |
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| Locally they're asking people who can sew to make them. It's a logistics problem so let's get it together and go to work. quote: Providence Hospital asking for volunteers to sew medical masks to battle coronavirus
"Kits with enough materials to make 100 medical masks will be offered March 26 from 12-4 p.m. at Providence St. Joseph Health, located at 1801 Lind Ave. S.W. in Renton." https://komonews.com/news/coro...o-battle-coronavirus
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The butcher with the sharpest knife has the warmest heart.
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| | | Posts: 13404 | Location: Bottom of Lake Washington | Registered: March 06, 2007 |
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| I don't have any advice for making your own mask, but I can offer some advice as to how ineffective most of these homegrown contraptions will be, and that is ZERO.
HEPA filters capture particulates at a 99.97% efficiency down to the size of .3 microns. Viruses are in the .004-.1 micron size range. I've read various reports on the size of the coronavirus, but it's within that range.
First thoughts are generally, well then a HEPA filter/mask won't work. But, viruses travel on a host or a carrier such as mucus, saliva and what not. It is those particulates that the HEPA filter/mask can stop along with the virus due to their larger size.
I do not know as to what percentage of viruses travel without a host however, if somebody knows please let me know.
All that being said, we're talking microscopic particulates here that will pass through the majority of fabrics. I'm sure that some contraptions will provide peace of mind, but their overall efficiency won't be much. |
| | | Posts: 2679 | Location: The Low Country | Registered: October 21, 2008 |
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| quote: Originally posted by MattW:
I don't have any advice for making your own mask, but I can offer some advice as to how ineffective most of these homegrown contraptions will be, and that is ZERO.
HEPA filters capture particulates at a 99.97% efficiency down to the size of .3 microns. Viruses are in the .004-.1 micron size range. I've read various reports on the size of the coronavirus, but it's within that range.
First thoughts are generally, well then a HEPA filter/mask won't work. But, viruses travel on a host or a carrier such as mucus, saliva and what not. It is those particulates that the HEPA filter/mask can stop along with the virus due to their larger size.
I do not know as to what percentage of viruses travel without a host however, if somebody knows please let me know.
All that being said, we're talking microscopic particulates here that will pass through the majority of fabrics. I'm sure that some contraptions will provide peace of mind, but their overall efficiency won't be much.
The regular mask health care workers wear prevents the person wearing it from spewing liquid droplets on others. If there are people in the health care industry that think those will protect them from getting a virus they are mistaken. The N95 is a different story since it is a respirator. If I was a health care worker I’d wear a face shield to protect my mouth and eyes and never touch my mouth or eyes without scrubbing my hands. The virus is being carried by the liquid droplets. |
| | | Posts: 4120 | Location: Friendswood Texas | Registered: August 24, 2007 |
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| I have two nephews who are ED docs. The one had to buy his own protective goggles online as his hospital couldn’t find any/were out. It makes me wonder why he could find goggles online but the hospital couldn’t? Thread drift off and sorry.
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| An N95 mask is actually about 80% effective at preventing personal infection, when used correctly. This reflects the fact that most of the vectoring is the virus riding piggyback on much larger particles, i.e. water and mucous droplets (I don't know what that exact percentage is). The virus still can come through via the eyes or some other means. So the problem is not that the mask isn't blocking transmission, it's that very few people use them correctly. A drugstore mask rarely fits the wearer's facial contours exactly, any any sideflow at all renders the mask completely ineffective. Or they don't change out the mask freqently enough, or they touch their face under the mask, etc. |
| | | Posts: 16369 | Location: SF Bay Area | Registered: December 11, 2003 |
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| The other morning as I was making coffee , the coffee filters caught my eye.
I wonder if you staple the filters ( oh, I don't know) 4 layers thick or so , if that would give you any protection. Some is better than none. maybe ,even stapling the coffee filters to a regular mask ??
Re: the loose fitting masks.... I'm surprised that no one has tried to tape the edges to their face for a better seal ?? I think that I would tape mine.
God bless the healthcare workers ! |
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| quote: Re: the loose fitting masks.... I'm surprised that no one has tried to tape the edges to their face for a better seal ??
That's what I would do if all I had was a drugstore mask. |
| | | Posts: 16369 | Location: SF Bay Area | Registered: December 11, 2003 |
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| I get the use of a mask to prevent transmission of an airborne virus, but anything that leaves the eyes exposed is not going to be effective at preventing the wearer from becoming infected. Given that fact, along with what MattW said above, I don't think making a homemade mask is worth the effort. Better to work with local officials to get the proper PPE. |
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| At the 3pm press conference with the Montgomery county Pennsylvania commissioners they were asking businesses in the area to donate ANY type of mask or respirator. Previously they said they put requests in to get masks from the bational strategic stock pile, so I do not know what changed that the county is now asking for donations. |
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| quote: Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
I don't think making a homemade mask is worth the effort. Better to work with local officials to get the proper PPE.
Of course , you're right that it is better to work with local officials.... How long do you think that will take ? And in the meantime ? |
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| quote: Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Latest is cloth mask that can be washed with a pocket for coffee filters
Maybe they could add just a touch of coffee...I always like the smell of coffee !!  |
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Seeker of Clarity
| Talked to a guy at 3M today. The story is they're making a million N95s a day. |
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| quote: Originally posted by r0gue:
Talked to a guy at 3M today. The story is they're making a million N95s a day.
Wow ! Are we looking at a distribution issue ? |
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