Coronavirus, anyone wearing masks or buying masks?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Prior to the outbreak I bought a mask for .99 cents on eBay for dusting but haven't used it. I'm thinking about using it now maybe in crowded places. The medical community says the best preventive measures is to hand wash frequently but taking the path of least resistance might be to wear a mask as well.

[QuarterMillionMan]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-8511-Par...sAAOSwosFUVXF4

Seriously $111,111.11?

[myrdale]

Either you're going to get the flu or you're not.

I am not convinced how effective a dust mask is at filtering flu virus. Keep in mind, viruses are microscopic.

Also this does nothing to protect your eyes. You touch a door handle, then you touch your eyes and wouldn't you know your now sick.

I've never bought into hand sanitizers for the simple reason that exposure to germs is what strengthens your immune system.

As for eBay listings, you can list anything for any price. The $100,000 box of dust mask is just an idiot being an idiot.

[bjl584]

No. It's all hype and panic.
6 months from now no one will remember Coronavirus.

[~bs]

no. compare the amount of people who died from flu last year to the amount that died in the US from coronas so far this year.

[~bs]

Either you're going to get the flu or you're not.

I am not convinced how effective a dust mask is at filtering flu virus. Keep in mind, viruses are microscopic.

Also this does nothing to protect your eyes. You touch a door handle, then you touch your eyes and wouldn't you know your now sick.

I've never bought into hand sanitizers for the simple reason that exposure to germs is what strengthens your immune system.

As for eBay listings, you can list anything for any price. The $100,000 box of dust mask is just an idiot being an idiot.

I seen a picture of a mother and her kids with plastic milk gallon jugs on their heads. It's probably the only semi effective protective measure that regular people have come up with.

[james.hendrickson]

I seen a picture of a mother and her kids with plastic milk gallon jugs on their heads. It's probably the only semi effective protective measure that regular people have come up with.

You mean...like this guy?

[myrdale]

In the movie, 10 Cloverfield Lane, there was an interesting scene where a kidnapped victim constructs her own full face mask. I guess it is possible, just not very practical. $50 to $100 on Amazon will get you a full face respirator.

I still believe surgical mask are more about keeping your germs in, than about keeping other peoples germs out.

[kork13]

I still believe surgical mask are more about keeping your germs in, than about keeping other peoples germs out.

Fact. -- In Japan, Korea, China, and elsewhere, the trend of wearing a surgical mask began as a courtesy to others when you were sick, to reduce the chance of spreading your plague to everyone you love and associate with.

I blame the media, and social media, for make a mountain out of a mole hill. People are ignorant, and with a lack of understanding or reliable information about how a disease actually spreads, people panic.

China is definitely getting hit pretty hard with this. But the country also has extremely dense population centers, including where the disease began, and often insufficient medical care & standards (or ineffective, vis-a-vis eastern medicine).

Follow proper hygiene, eat healthy, exercise, and generally take care of yourself. It'll all be okay.

[Drake3287]

In the mean time 50,000 people will die of the common flu this year in the US. This is certainly a real issue and concern but the media along with social media is the problem. (like everything else!)

[Like2Plan]

Prior to the outbreak I bought a mask for .99 cents on eBay for dusting but haven't used it. I'm thinking about using it now maybe in crowded places. The medical community says the best preventive measures is to hand wash frequently but taking the path of least resistance might be to wear a mask as well.

I've used those masks when doing projects (like sanding), but I think they are pretty uncomfortable. I would not want to wear one routinely. If I felt it was a risk, I don't think I would go out in crowded places.

When I was working in an office we would use Clorox wipes to wipe down all the counter surfaces, door handles and phones, etc each shift. I think it probably did help some to keep folks from getting colds and so on.

I think the hand washing thing is a good precaution anyway. There are other viruses (norovirus, for example https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/report...stat/data.html) that I sure wouldn't want to get.

[~bs]

You mean...like this guy?

LOL yeah. Except that guy is risking exposing himself since it's not pulled fully over his head and all the holes sealed :P

[TexasHusker]

Meanwhile, there are 3300 deaths per day by car accident. What’s weird is traffic is still bad.

[scfr]

Meanwhile, there are 3300 deaths per day by car accident. What’s weird is traffic is still bad.

According to the World Health Organization, it's higher: 1.35 million per year so almost 3700. But yes, it's true what I believe your point is - there are greater risks out there. Wear your seatbelts people!

https://www.who.int/gho/road_safety/en/

But as to the original question, I still have a small box of N95 general purpose masks that I bought during the 2003 SARS outbreak. I cared about owning/storing them enough that they "made the cut" when we sold or got rid of so many things prior to TWO long-distance moves. DH said I should sell them on eBay and I told him no way - I'm keeping them! I know they aren't perfect protection, but better than nothing. DH has to take a flight from Asia back to the USA in a little over a week; I offered to express mail a couple masks for him, but he has already procured one. If he didn't already have one, knowing that I would be able to offer him a little bit of protection would be priceless to me.

[ua_guy]

I've always got a few around. I keep N95's in the garage for working on various projects and a separate stash in a first aid kit. None were purchased b/c of Coronavirus. I am generally more concerned with hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with others.

It's true, there is a statistically higher risk of dying in a car accident. But the difference is, car accidents aren't contagious and a lot of it has to do with poor decision making (automotive DUI-related fatalities). It's also true that the flu has a higher death toll.

Coronavirus is worth keeping tabs on as the initial death rate seems to be higher than the flu, and it's still unknown exactly how it's transmitted (before/during symptoms) and under which conditions the virus can survive. The 34 y/o doctor who reported the virus is dead and it seems to have a high mortality rate in even age-prime individuals who should have the highest survival rate. I'm a little surprised at how China is handling this, and I wonder if it's fear of the unknown or if it's something that they're not telling us about the actual mortality rate.