Update: The surgeon general says that the CDC guidance on masks has changed due to new evidence about coronavirus, including asymptomatic spread. He advises that you wash your hands thoroughly before putting you mask on and taking it off.
He stressed that social distancing must be maintained and N95 masks should be saved for medical workers.
On Sunday I made a post asking if it was time for the US and CDC to backtrack on their previous guidance of not using masks in public.
Sure enough, President Trump just announced in his daily press conference that the CDC now recommends that everyone should wear a mask or face cover when outside their home.
You can make your own cloth mask, use a scarf, or buy masks from Amazon here.
It’s a big about-face from previous CDC guidance that masks don’t help laymen and from what the US surgeon general said just a month ago:
Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!
They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!
https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020
Dilbert creator Scott Adams had it right in his response to that:
Face masks don't work, so please stop hoarding them or else medical professionals will not have access to the stuff that doesn't work.
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) March 4, 2020
You don’t need a surgical mask, even a homemade mask made like a scarf, or something made from a t-shirt can prevent the spread of droplets that pass coronavirus around. Plus it will stop people from touching their face when outside, which can spread coronavirus. Of course if that mask isn’t handled properly and disposed or laundered, it can cause more harm than good.
The key thing to remember is that regular surgical masks or cloth face covers don’t protect you from getting coronavirus, so social distancing is still needed. However if most people are wearing masks outside, it will slow the spread of droplets into the air that can pass coronavirus around.
Kudos to the Czech Republic for the #Masks4All campaign:
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You can discuss coronavirus and how it’s affecting your life on the dedicated COVID-19 board on DDF here.
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50 Comments On "President Trump: The CDC Now Recommends Everyone Should Wear Masks Or Face Covers When Outside, Will You Wear One?"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
How long before masks become marketing tools? Over/under 5 minutes after a marketing guru reads this post?
Where can we get them
Reusable ones on Instagram @winx+blinx
yes!
You can easily make one yourself- No sewing required- See video from Israel Health ministry. https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/747879
If i wanted to i would have to own some of them and i dont. will this be provided?
Does this mean even when no one else is around?
Like walking down an empty block or going into your backyard?
Yes, it’s unknown how long droplets stick around for or how far they can travel
Common sense people. If walking in an outdoor area without any carriers of the virus nearby, unlikely to be airborne virus present. If in heavily trafficked area possible could be ground deposited virus viable for 6 hrs or so, but this would have to be touched or kicked up and resuspended to transmit. So lower risk there. There are no absolutes though, so just be careful. Wearing a mask in public place may be good idea if other people around, but on a trail in the woods, I don’t think so necessary. A better question then might be who are you hiking with?? Good luck people, take good care all!!
Amazing that 25% of the responses are a no.
I agree, how sad. I was hoping to see close to 100% compliance.
We have a moral obligation to ourselves and those around us to do everything in our power to reduce transmission of COVID-19.
Since we have known for weeks that a someone without symptoms can unknowingly transmit the virus for days, a homemade mask is a great idea to keep our nose droplets and our breathing droplets from touching others… just in case we are carrying the virus and don’t know we are.
The sooner we all work together to prevent the further spread, the sooner we can all move on with our lives. Every time there is a news story showing people on a crowded beach or going to worship service, the clock starts over and we all will need to continue to shelter in place. If we cannot get a nationwide shelter in place with extreme precautions like masks and gloves in public as well as vigorous cleaning of surfaces… then we will all be sheltering in place until we have a vaccine (12-18 months) or the discovery of a successful treatment.
I think it was a big lie on the CDC’s part. They knew the US was short on masks and healthcare workers would not have access to them. So they told us we don’t need it. Now that supplies have eased up a BIT, they’re changing course. Either this theory or they just realize they screwed up, like they’ve done so much of with this whole crisis.
I think this was the case – look what happened with worthless TP (in regards to prevention) – imagine if the CDC has forcefully said to wear masks early on – people would have gone bananas – though had they been forceful at the beginning perhaps people would have taken more seriously
They wanted to divert all masks to the health professionals, so they intentionally lied. Any educated person realized that and respected the decision. Our healthcare professionals cannot work if they are sick from the virus.
Very valid point and consideration. But why the need to lie?? The same way tests were extremely limited and held for those needing it most, the same could have been done with masks.
Besides; why not make the masks unavailable to the public and advise how to make your own masks??
They were responding to a known shortage of the pro grade masks, so they did what they had to do. this may not have been the same thing they would have done with an over abundance of masks available. But the risks of no masks for front line health care workers is a sound reason for taking the path they did. Better question is why was there a shortage of masks in the first place? this is inexcusable…
Inexcusable that our previous administrations relied so heavily on ONE foreign nation. A nation that is not even a friend. We relied o them for PPE, for major ingredients in medications. Shame.
If they knew there was a shortage and felt the need to save masks for health care workers on the front lines (a VERY worthy cause) they could have still been straight up with everyone by recommending a homemade mask i.e. scarf, bandana etc.
Most people have been taking this seriously and wearing masks for awhile in places I have been the past couple of days since I recovered and have been out again. Because most people are not so trusting of the integrity of the official guidelines. However I am sure there are those who would have been more careful had they been told a better version of the truth earlier on.
Perhaps there would be more people alive today…
Guy- exactly my feelings. I was out of commission for 15 days but had I not been told otherwise by the CDC, I would not have stepped out without some sort of covering since I have now been able to get out. And yes; I think people probably are no longer here as a result of their lies.
Good intentions; retarded implementation.
Ive been wearing one..
“if that mask isn’t handled properly and disposed or laundered, it can cause more harm than good”
This isn’t accurate. As you mentioned, wearing a mask is to protect others from your droplets so the mask is only contaminated by you. Launder and dispose of any way you like (just don’t touch other people’s)!
I already had Coronavirus (Covid 19) and Thank G-d healed.
Do I need to wear a mask?
Im no longer symptomatic or contagious.
(I don’t think you can get it twice.)
You “don’t think” is not a scientific argument. Come to think about it, you need to think to have any sort of argument to begin with.
There is still no conclusive evidence on whether those that recover can 1) get it again 2) can still be contagious…
Please think and follow the guidance provided.
There are cases with people who do get it twice.
These people were checked with faulty tests in china (their test picks up minor virus buildup too, as it only works 30% of the time)
I was on the White House Faith Leaders Call on COVID 19 Response on Friday and the Surgeon General said that from the data he sees, 99.5% of ppl who had the virus and recovered have immunity for a significant amount of time. He also said that as of now, the virus hasn’t (BH!) mutated so there’s one strain of the virus.
I had it too and recovered. I am being EXTREMELY cautious to follow the guidelines on the slight chance that I may still be contagious due to the fact that the one thing that has been a constant in this whole situation is the lack of knowledge about anything to do with this virus.
I DO NOT WANT TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYONE ELSE GOING THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH and even much less than that AND CERTAINLY NOT FOR ANY WORSE i.e. DEATHS!
If I’m immune why should I wear one ?
-There may be other strains you can catch.
-You may still be spreading the virus.
Because we don’t want to be we selfish now, do we?
Immune means not a carrier in theory
We need a 3rd option – “I don’t go outside”
That’s me! Almost at the three week marker.
That is not indefinitely scalable. You need to think long term, and have a methodology for life to go on assuming we cannot rid the world of this virus in the near future.
It’s a matter of time before states will require them just like all other cdc recommendations
Q: what about someone that had corona already ?
It’s unclear how long you can still spread symptoms after you had it.
Most research actually shows that viral load peaks early and starts declining after, and by the time you’re 100% symptom free for 72 hours (assuming you were symptomatic in the first place) in the majority of cases you are no longer shedding the live virus.
Here’s the truth (in my opinion) – If face masks were simple to obtain, we would all be wearing one. If it was as easy as going to your local grocery and buying a pack of 50 pieces for a normal price, everybody would be wearing one. We are all fans of it. That’s a fact – most people (inc. myself) agree it’s important to wear one. The reason many are not wearing masks is NOT because they disagree with the concept of it, it’s for one reason and one reason only: obtaining it is ridiculously difficult, or ridiculously expensive! There’s a shortage of masks, and for the average family, paying $1 per disposable mask is simply not affordable. The only option left for average income people (unless the stores stock up) is to walk around with a homemade mask such as a scarf, t-shirt, etc, which people are reluctant to do for two reasons, 1-nobody else is walking around with scarves and t-shirts wrapped around their faces, when you walked out last, how many ppl did you see with t-shirts nad scarves wrapped around their face (especially on warm days) and until it’s normal to see people walking around that way, people don’t want to be the first one (whereas masks are totally normal to walk around with these days), and 2- because it takes time to craft a homemade mask in a way that it will stay on, and most people simply don;t have the time or patience to work on arts’n’crafts when they’re rushing out on an errand (whereas face masks are simple to just put on).
Supposedly if necessary you can reuse masks if you sterilize them in the oven at 170 degrees for 30 minutes.
Also, at least according to this study, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2749214
surgical masks may be not much different than N95 masks.
No i wont wear one because there is a shortage. If they were readily available i would
You can make one. Lots of tips on google.
I don’t see, but I have old shirts, rubber bands and glue and I will be figuring out how to make one for when we run out of groceries (sometime in May).
If I cannot get it to work, I will buy a homemade mask on Etsy or eBay.
1. Dan and Dilbert didn’t understand the difference between individuals in the general population wearing masks and those in the high risk professions, in the Surgeon Generals’ original post. Hence, they made fun of it.
2. Decisions are evaluated based on the information available at the time, not with the benefit of hindsight.
1. Surgeon general said that masks are “NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus”
That’s not true if everyone would be required to wear one as in Asian countries.
2. We’ve known for a month that asymptomatic spread was occurring. What changed now that the advice has flip-flopped?
I’ve been wearing one for three weeks already.
Can you add an option as sometimes.
Absolutely yes!
No! Hold on actually maybe Yes!
You know what? This is too crazy! I’m watching a movie that G-d is directing. Let us sit back and see how it turns out.
Either way I will try to stop talking about other people…
Amazon link is not working.
Another reason to wear masks, based on an interview with the head doctor of Cornell, is that you will refrain from touching your face while out amongst germs. The way the disease spreads, he says is when you have it on your hands (from some germy object ie: shopping cart/basket, elevator button etc.) and then you touch your face. Carry Purell with you and use it whenever you touch something out of your house. While outside, never touch your face without making sure your hands are germ free (Purell or washing with soap for 20 seconds.)
The CDC lied, like any intelligent person knew from the first day they wrote that tweet. They would have saved a lot of credibility had they been honest and said that the masks need to be reserved for medical workers, which is why they are not advising the general public to acquire them and discourage hoarding.
My understanding from discussion with medical workers and reading up is:
Disease spreads primarily from respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing, talking, and breathing. The standard 3 ply masks are sufficient to prevent the majority of those droplets from entering the airspace and traveling. This is why patients are advised to wear them.
For a healthy individual, the masks also prevent most respiratory droplets from getting through. However, if there are gaps, the droplets can enter through there when breathing in, which creates a suction drawing in air from area around masks. Frequent touching of contaminated masks to adjust is also an issue, which is why some people believe that the downside outweighs the upside. (Note, N95 masks are not required in a standard setting to prevent contracting virus. The virus is not believed to be airborne in most settings, which means it is carried on respiratory droplets generally 1 micron or larger. As long as mask creates proper seal and does not have gaps, I believe standard 3 ply masks (vacuum filters are a popular choice to put in middle of homemade masks) should prevent larger respiratory droplets from entering. A combination of both the potential carrier and the potential recipient wearing these masks should be fairly effective.
For a healthcare worker or someone entering a medical facility, there is a high degree of aerosolized viral contamination. This is the instance where the virus is airborne, and a proper NIOSH respirator with a proper seal is necessary to prevent the particles which may be .012 microns wide from entering. A lack of these will both lead to a high incidence of infection among medical workers, and scare them off from utilizing Bi-PAP machines due to increased aerosol creation over intubation. This is why sufficient PPE is crucial for the medical industry, and the average person should not be hoarding them.
The CDC and Trump administration would have looked a lot less foolish had they been honest from the start. (Trump himself is beyond reproach… You don’t give an infant a scolding for soiling a diaper. He lives in an alternate reality. The responsibility lies with his team that did not circumvent him, and everyone that voted for him and continues to support him.)
25 % selfish pricks. When someone you know get the virus, I hope you can look at the mirror and be proud of yourself. Wear a scarf or equivalent of you can’t get a mask. At this rate, we’ll all be quarantined for another 3-4 months.