Masks

[TJ]

Searching the internet for information about buying an effective face mask which will provide protection from coronavirus turned out to be a disappointment. Don't rely much or only on a face mask to keep you safe. The following is one example of a face mask utility assessment.

"The dramatic photos of surgical-masked people walking the streets of Asian cities hit by severe acute respiratory syndrome pose the question: Do the masks offer them any meaningful protection against the disease?

Viruses, including the coronavirus that scientists believe may be the cause of SARS, are so tiny that they can easily pass through such barriers. Several studies even have shown that surgical masks fail to prevent transmission of the much larger mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes TB. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that people who have SARS wear these masks, they do not even recommend them for people in contact with those patients unless the infected person can’t wear one. Wearing surgical masks outdoors, where virus-laden particles easily disperse, has even less value.

CDC does advise health care workers working with SARS patients to wear a special mask called an N-95 respirator. But even these masks offer limited protection from coronaviruses. The name of the mask says it all. The “95” means the mask, if properly fitted—and that “fit factor” presents a big if—can filter out particles down to 0.3 microns 95 percent of the time. (A human hair is roughly 100 microns in diameter.) Human coronaviruses measure between 0.1 and 0.2 microns, which is one to two times below the cutoff.

The University of Cincinnati’s Sergey Grinshpun has studied N-95 respirators and says it all comes down to “collection efficiency.” N-95s made by different manufacturers have different collection efficiencies below the 0.3 cutoff. In other words, one company’s mask, if properly fitted, might filter out 92 percent of coronaviruses, while another might catch only 50 percent.

“It seems to offer better protection than nothing,” Grinshpun says. And he notes that viruses often travel on top of larger carrier molecules—like globs of mucus—making it easier to filter them. That’s why CDC Director Julie Gerberding last week noted that covering your face with a T-shirt might help if you come in close contact with an infected person.

To efficiently protect yourself from coronaviruses, you would need to wear a full-faced mask with a high-efficiency particle air filter. But such HEPA filter masks cause what Grinshpun calls “quite a discomfort” in short order."

This other site provided more detail and may be somewhat more positive on the efficacy of a well-designed face mask.

https://www.rojakpot.com/wuhan-coronavirus-face-masks/

[samuel]

since pressure on foreigners not wearing masks is rising i would be happy to learn where the hell to buy covid-19 mask in udon thani.
wherever my wife went asking always same answer: "mai mee" or "mod laeo".

how to wear a mask when buying one is impossible (….)?

[semperfiguy]

Samuel, I don't know what store to direct you to, but I do know that many people are selling them on Facebook in the Marketplace section.

[stattointhailand]

Same in Jomtien/Pattaya samuel ....... cant buy one for love nor money

[noosard]

Forte on the ring road Nadee had them today

[glalt]

My wife is a seamstress and she has an Juki industrial sewing maching. The government asked her to do the sewing on new masks. The pay is quite good, she gets paid and they also pay daily rent for her sewing machine, She says she can sew about a hundred masks a day. There must be a severe shortage of masks.

[sometimewoodworker]

since pressure on foreigners not wearing masks is rising i would be happy to learn where the hell to buy covid-19 mask in udon thani.
wherever my wife went asking always same answer: "mai mee" or "mod laeo".

how to wear a mask when buying one is impossible (….)?

if you do not have a cough nor are you sneezing wearing a mask is totally pointless. The masks do not protect you they just reduce the danger to others if you are already infected

[stattointhailand]

since pressure on foreigners not wearing masks is rising i would be happy to learn where the hell to buy covid-19 mask in udon thani.
wherever my wife went asking always same answer: "mai mee" or "mod laeo".

how to wear a mask when buying one is impossible (….)?

if you do not have a cough nor are you sneezing wearing a mask is totally pointless. The masks do not protect you they just reduce the danger to others if you are already infected

100% agree ......... assuming that is that you have not got coronavirus and are not showing any symptoms.
Given that it is estimated millions have the virus with no outward symptoms it is therefore NOT totaly useless wearing a mask, just because you are not showing any symptoms does not mean you cannot pass the virus on

[noosard]

My wife is a seamstress and she has an Juki industrial sewing maching. The government asked her to do the sewing on new masks. The pay is quite good, she gets paid and they also pay daily rent for her sewing machine, She says she can sew about a hundred masks a day. There must be a severe shortage of masks.

My wife and a few other ladies are making masks in the community sala
Not getting paid just a community service

[noosard]

[

if you do not have a cough nor are you sneezing wearing a mask is totally pointless. The masks do not protect you they just reduce the danger to others if you are already infected
[/quote]
Town in Italy
What did Vo do?
Researchers from the University of Padua, along with Veneto regional officials and the Red Cross, decided to test all residents for COVID-19.

A road block in the town of Vo in northern Italy
PHOTO: Vo was one of 11 towns and villages in northern Italy locked down as the coronavirus outbreak there grew. (LaPresse via AP: Claudio Fulan)
Around 3,300 people were tested, even if they had no symptoms.

"We tested everybody," Andrea Crisanti, professor of microbiology at the University of Padua, told the ABC's The World Today.

"We found that an alarming portion of people were already positive for the virus."


EMBED: The town of Vo is located in the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy.
Nearly 3 per cent — or 89 Vo residents — were infected with COVID-19.

Even more alarming for Professor Crisanti and his colleagues was that many of the patients had no symptoms.

[Bandung_Dero]

Our local clinic is giving them away in very limited numbers and mainly to the elderly (locals ONLY). My step daughter has just taken delivery of 50 from Lazada, quite expensive at 800 Baht.

[Khun Paul]

The Face Mask story is getting worse daily, every-time I ask, the reply is the same ..No have/Sold out , which is even more amusing when asked Why Farang no wear mask.
Well my stock reply at the moment is : When your Country has them to sell then I will buy , until then please blame the Government not me.
Considering they are rather pointless, unless you are
a infected ( in which case quarantine is the order of the day )
b going to a crowded area ( which you should not be )

Wasting time and effort going from one side of town to the other in order to buy even ONE face mask seems a complete waste of time .

[tamada]

since pressure on foreigners not wearing masks is rising i would be happy to learn where the hell to buy covid-19 mask in udon thani.
wherever my wife went asking always same answer: "mai mee" or "mod laeo".

how to wear a mask when buying one is impossible (….)?

if you do not have a cough nor are you sneezing wearing a mask is totally pointless. The masks do not protect you they just reduce the danger to others if you are already infected

If you are unknowingly asymptomatic and a carrier, the mask will reduce the risk of you spreading the contagion. Since none of us here can claim to having been tested -ve or have admitted to being possibly infected, then it's better to be safe than sorry IMHO.

Also, as @Whistler has pointed out, has been mentioned by more than a few health professionals, and with which I totally agree, the mask makes a significant reduction in the subconscious face touching that is key route to self-infecting.

Finally and maybe more importantly, it makes the mask-wearing farang look like he truly does give a sh*t. We all know that appearances are so important in this parochial backwater we call home.

The simple triple-fold masks are more than adequate and are still available. One does need to ask at several outlets as they are not placing them on shelves for irresponsible hoarders and greedy gougers to bulk buy. Investing in the N95-type with the little one-way flapper vent would be denying one to a health professional that truly needs this degree of protection.

[samuel]

yep - a waste of time.
i surely would buy masks for my wife and me - but can't find any.
waiting for pickups driving through our moo baan selling masks like to local melon vendor does…

[Bandung_Dero]

Taken about 20 mins ago:- TW (holding up a mask) with a number of friends in full production. Being a Farang I would question the hygiene with process being carried out on the floor, was assured they were to be laundered and sanitized before distribution (free) - well, TiT, at least they are trying to overcome this shortage.

[Shado]

Thanks for that Bandung_Dero. Please pass along our thanks to all those engaged in the effort. Well done!

[borregam]

The best masks for protection from Covid 19 are those of type PFF2 or PFF3 practically unobtainable everything else is quite useless

[tamada]

Taken about 20 mins ago:- TW (holding up a mask) with a number of friends in full production. Being a Farang I would question the hygiene with process being carried out on the floor, was assured they were to be laundered and sanitized before distribution (free) - well, TiT, at least they are trying to overcome this shortage.

10 out of 10 for effort there.

They eat on the floor as well don't they?

Not sure how one could sterilize them short of a 30-second blast in the microwave? If they're cloth, maybe 60 seconds and they could ignite!

[stattointhailand]

Probably far cleaner than those previously bought that have been made in Chinese or Indian sweatshops

[tutone]

My feeling is that unless one is sick there is no reason to wear a mask. The problem is that one may be infected, asymptomatic and not realize they are spreading the virus so a mask might help. In certain situations I intend to wear a mask in order to, hopefully, make other folks more comfortable in my presence. Don't know for sure, but Forte may have masks. They did have hand sanitizer two days ago.