Well, should we all be wearing masks or not?
The question of should we all be wearing masks has been argued since the beginning of the coronavirus in January 2020.
“So you get people who say, well, it’s not going to work. But you try having three big, huge football players who are rushing for lunch through a door at lunchtime—they’re not going to get through. In the latest data I saw, the mask provided 5x protection. That’s really good. But we have to keep the hospitals going and we have to keep the health professionals able to come to work and be safe. So masks should go where they’re needed the most: in taking care of patients.”
Source: Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, Wired magazine 19 March 2020
Masks really are an important tool for fighting the coronavirus
The N95 mask is a particulate-filtering facepiece respirator that filters at least 95% of airborne particles.
Source: Wikipedia
“The N95 mask itself is extremely wonderful. The pores in the mask are three microns wide. The virus is one micron wide. The mask pores are 0.3 microns wide; the virus is 0.12 microns.
“So you get people who say, well, it’s not going to work. But you try having three big, huge football players who are rushing for lunch through a door at lunchtime—they’re not going to get through. In the latest data I saw, the mask provided 5x protection. That’s really good. But we have to keep the hospitals going and we have to keep the health professionals able to come to work and be safe. So masks should go where they’re needed the most: in taking care of patients.”
Source: Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, Wired magazine 19 March 2020
So where are we in the uk?
Well as of May 12 2020, the UK Government recommends homemade face coverings in shops, on public transport and in enclosed public spaces.This is what Boris has to say in story from the Guardian titled ‘What is Boris Johnson’s advice on coronavirus and masks?’.
And here’s a Nurse in the USA that didn’t just create her own replacement N95 mask—hers works better >>
So if you now feel really inspired to have a go yourself, here are some useful links on how you too can make a face mask:
From the BBC > Coronavirus: How to make your own face mask
Form the Sun > How to make a coronavirus face mask – all you need is an old T-shirt
From Good Housekeeping > How to Make Face Masks for Yourself and Hospitals During the Coronavirus Shortage
The Scotsman > How to make a face mask: ideas for creating your own face coverings at home – and where you can buy them online
From the Guardian > How to make a non-medical coronavirus face mask – no sewing required
Face masks could be a better defence against Covid-19 than hand washing The Telegraph – 12 June 2020 >
From costume designer to face mask designer. A story of how one person decided they needed to help during the pandemic. By Petra Storrs >
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