Face Masks disappearing from shelves

If there were a vaccine, I would go about my business as usual.
But a world without regular flu vaccines would look very different than today’s.

 

My church is building 'flood buckets' full of cleaning supplies. Face masks help with mold, a common result of flooding. I found 30, they wanted 150.

Look like I picked the wrong week...

 

And that both are legitimate applications ... for slightly different pieces of gear.

 

I consider masks (below the level of scary looking) to provide limited protection in both directions. Adequately covered in earlier posts here. Incremental benefit is better than none.

There is another aspect when things get frisky. As I hope they do not, in other countries. They may get treated as 'the price of admission' to public areas and transportation services. Even if done mostly for the sake of appearances, there may come a time...

 

Was at Harbor Freight today. Not a single mask on the shelf.

 

Back when I grew up in Blighty (1950-1983) I remember being told (…by my old Dad (ex. Fleet Air Arm)) that the chaps in the Royal Air Force were not allowed to grow beards since the beards would get in the way of their oxygen-masks, whereas the flyers in the FAA, being naval-aviators they were allowed to "grow a full set", and I am reminded of that when I see bearded navy pilots proudly showing off their "full-sets" when visiting RAF stations! (…it might be different nowadays, but my old Dad was in from 1940 to 1946).

From t'InterNet:

What Military Regulations Say About Beards And Facial Hair

"Royal Air Force

The RAF recently updated its guidelines around facial hair, allowing personnel to grow beards for the first time in the service's history."

…the times they are a changin'

 

In the U S Air Force in the 1970's we couldn't have a beard and mustaches were allowed to come to the edges of the mouth for a similar reason. When you needed to put on a 'gas mask' in an emergency situation there was no time to play games with facial hair trying to get a good seal as it was a life or death matter to get the mask on as quick as possible and obtain an air tight seal against the smooth skin of your face.

 

In anticipation of the next headline and shortage- Do I need to rush out and buy up all the hand sanitizer I can?- No

Coronavirus: How to wash your hands correctly to limit spread of disease | The Independent

Also concerning face mask-"And while you may see an increase in the number of people wearing face masks, the CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear the masks to protect themselves from coronavirus. "
This quote is at the end of the article and made by the agency monitoring the virus and responsible/overseeing the vaccine initiative

Resource website-Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC

"Because of the lack of education on AIDS, discrimination, fear, panic, and lies surrounded me."
Ryan White
I hope this doesn't become a case where we substitute the word coronavirus for aids.

I'll stop posting now , I was up early shoveling snow and no one else in the house was up yet this morning, sorry for the two post in a row!

 

The medical masks started to disappear from the retail stores immediately after CoV-19 was announced. Last I checked tho, you can still get them online.

 

We allow mustaches in the US Navy, but no beards....soul patches, etc.

When I was knocking holes in the Atlantic on a submarine, it was customary to allow qualified crew to wear beards, etc.... as long as one could achieve a tight seal on an Emergency Air Breather (EAB) mask or a firefighting mask....both easily and often tested during drills.
It was (and is) possible to maintain a fairly robust patch of facial hair AND be able to get a gas-tight seal——ON THOSE.

IMHO, Surgical masks will allow the same basic viri benefit with or without the hair, since they are only marginally useful in keeping bad things (mainly your fingers) away from your face (if you can manage not to touch the mask while itching) and in keeping sneezes a little more localized for those spreading the disease.

Better than nothing....but only just.
Staying inside and puttering about on the inter webs is a better strategery,

YMMV

 

What is more disturbing is people are apparently making runs on the local grocery stores, stripping shelves of canned goods and water and other essentials.

 

it's early yet; I think that party is just getting started.

Admittedly there are still some odds and ends I wouldn't mind stocking up on but fortunately I've already got most of what I want. Difficulty: I'm on a gig, 2500 miles from home. So I don't get to do any of that prep until Tuesday.

 

cnn- 'surgeon general wants americans to stop buying face masks'

 

@Georgina Rudkus. Prepper! Previous food-canning factory worker here. I inspect every seal on every can I buy. Do prepper sites teach how to do that? Somehow I imagine you'd know, but might not always be fastidious.

Good deal on Mtn House freeze-dried vac pouches in bulk. Polyethylene buckets are a (useful) bonus. However, I've previously tasted their entire product line. Long before 2047, you'll be putting them out as bait for Muridae, and eating those, just for variety.

 

Think this is all a little overblown. I worry more about storms washing out my roads and leaving me without electricity for weeks -- which has happened more than once. No power means no water from the well.

Which is why we have 100 gallons of water stored, not counting water in toilet tanks and hot water heater. As well as a supply of canned food that will last weeks and is rotated regularly.

Before we "splurged" on a 1k Honda inverter a couple of years ago, winter was often very interesting here. It doesn't power the well, but keeps the refrigerator and freezer going, as well as allows us to cook on a portable induction cooktop.

The extra firearm cartridges...why....they are for hunting....hunting rabbits, yeah, that's my story....
kris