Face Masks disappearing from shelves

Right, a 'facemask' is useful on a patient, for controlling spread to others.

For a person wishing to avoid exposure, an N95 or better respirator (with edges that seal against the face) is what's indicated, if you have to be someplace where you expect a virus to be in the air.

The rest of the time it's about avoiding such places, washing hands, the usual precautions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Respirators and Their Use

 

If they shave their beard first.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/pdfs/FacialHairWmask11282017-508.pdf

 

preppers

 

But wearing one also tends to increase the amount of touching of the rest of the face from adjusting the masking. From there, transfer of infectious agents to the nose and mouth can happen after taking the mask off.

 

bubble wrap

 

Helps with falls.
Hard to breath through.

 

I found masks for my hands. The box said "gloves."

I might take to wearing my gnatproof net over my hat. It certainly won't do anything to keep a virus out, but I learned that it hugely cut down on hand/face contact while wearing it during outdoor work last summer.

I did buy a box of dust masks for completely unrelated reasons last summer, happy to have it. I also have a real respirator from painting work but I probably need different cartridges.

As far as practical prep is concerned I'm probably going to get some extra cleaning supplies- bonus jug of bleach, spray bottle or two, maybe a bit of rubbing alcohol.

I'm also thinking it wouldn't be a bad time to get a pattern to just make a mask or three. Doesn't have to come from a factory to work.

 

My CFO has a box of masks from her last bout with a flu-bug, and I'm thinking that that will suffice.

I have a decent resperator and some new cartridges that I might break out if people start flopping and twitching.
I also have some exposure suits....and there might be some MOPP gear in one of my military footlockers.

THAT will keep people at arm's length.....

 

That caveat and chart apply to respirators: the things (N95 or better) that you'd be wearing if you were trying to protect yourself from inhaling pathogens. Those designs have gasketed edges to seal tightly against your face (unless there is hair there).

"Facemasks" won't seal airtight against your face, clean-shaven or not. Their purpose is more to help an already affected person avoid broadcasting.

 

I think it's fascinating that people from Asian cultures assume the mask is to prevent spreading contamination to others, but people from western cultures often assume it's to keep from receiving bugs from others.

With a long latency period where people don't know if they're shedding viral contamination or not, wearing a mask is polite.

 

One of my lingering dislikes of the early environmental movement is that they used to show us school kids shocking pictures of people wearing masks in Tokyo because of the rampant pollution......

 

Why not a Bubonic Plague Bird Beak mask?

As pointed out, those paper masks work best in preventing those already infected from spreading the disease.
In the USA, there has been only 1 confirmed case of the virus.

Runs on the supply of these masks IMO are actions of fear.

 

Last Summer went to Disneyland.
Noticed a lot of Asian visitors walking around the park wearing those paper masks.
Didn't ask whether they were wearing them assuming they were protecting me, or protecting themselves, or both.

Hot Days, I really felt that it must of been uncomfortable.

 

That's the rub. Credibility is easily squandered.

Clorox was holding up even better, until the last half hour yesterday. Both are caught in the downdraft today.

One or two other S&P500 components (depending on news source) were also up, but I haven't found their names.

I last used some spare N95 masks a couple years ago during the worst of our wildfire smoke problems. A couple people came up to ask where I bought mine, as local supplies were sold out. Sorry, mine were leftovers from a past home project.

To avoid the next run on supplies, I replaced them during the off season.

 

Or the masks were just to dissuade people from talking to them.
The masks also get worn during the winter for warmth.

 

Articles on Coronavirus hysteria

The most dangerous thing about coronavirus is the hysteria | The Spectator
Hysteria over coronavirus in Italy reminiscent of the black death — Quartz
Coronavirus Reaction: Historical Or Hysterical?

Isn't coronavirus mortality statistics similar to the flu- the older you are or if you have existing health challenges the more likely you are to be adversely affected by It? Not minimizing the risk to these groups as my age put me squarely in the group most likely to be affected, but I will take a pass on panicking

 

While that pattern is true, coronavirus appears to have a per-case mortality rate 10X to 20X higher than current common influenzas (not including the 1918 pandemic). But figures are still quite preliminary and subject to change. It also appears that children have a particularly low mortality rate or even catch rate.

This coronavirus appears to be more contagious (transmissible) than SARS and MERS, but less deadly per case.

This Chinese-CDC page has considerable detail, scroll way way down to Table 1:
The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) — China, 2020

WHAT! Panic is the American way, for novel things, regardless of actual risk. We are normally complacent only for ordinary everyday mass killers, such as influenza, alcohol, cars, gluttony, sedentary lifestyle, ...