It's not a fashion statement so don't wear it any longer than is absolutely necessary.

A driver in New Jersey crashed their vehicle into a pole after passing out at the wheel. It was thought that wearing a mask for a long period of time caused the mask to "clog up" resulting in the wearer breathing in expelled CO2.

I could see that happening with a standard medical N95 mask, especially after some use. I can't wear one for more than 15-20 minutes at a time without a break. For longer time periods, I have to use a somewhat less restrictive mask.

think about the front line personnel in the hospitals, wearing an N95 mask all day while working with Covid patients, knowing if they just take it off for even a moment to get a full breath at the wrong time they are exposed.
We got hazardous pay while serving overseas, our front line medical personnel should absoutely be getting serious raises during this time.

Probably explains why on the news you rarely see a jogger or cyclist wearing a mask. It's not because of arrogance.

To me, if you are alone in your vehicle, it seems dumb to wear a mask. I see more and more of this.

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No baby we aint

I wear a mask when around other people. In my car, no. I have asthma and even though it's relatively light fabric, it does impede my breathing somewhat. Not enough to be uncomfortable and not anywhere near an asthma attack or leaving me on the verge of passing out, but noticeably more restrictive. I wouldn't use one if I was engaging in any kind of vigorous physical activity.

Even the CDC guidelines say not to wear a mask if it makes it hard for you to breathe.

I experienced a noticeable decrease in air flow when I was breathing through a bandana, which doesn't fit near as tight as a mask.

Surgical masks catch the spit and droplets coming out of the mouth of the person wearing the mask. Wearing it doesn’t protect the wearer. My mask protects people around me. If people around me have on a mask, it protects me.

It doesn’t make sense to wear a mask for your walk in the park or driving alone in your car. If you’re heading to the grocery store, wearing a mask will help the people around you.

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Vegan by proxy.

I found this interesting....
I have a 3M half-face respirator (6000 series) that uses bayonet mounted cartridges. I've been told that wearing a face mask, etc. is to protect others from me in case I am carrying the virus, not so much to protect me from others.
In looking at the way this respirator appears to work, I don't see where it does this. When inhaling, the air comes in through the filters, but when exhaling, it just goes out through the flapper valve on the front of the mask. No filtering at all.
Some of the fancier R95's appear to use this same arrangement with a flapper valve. ??????

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I’m not sure the protecting others thing is true for respirators where you breathe in through a filter and out through an unfiltered valve. I think it’s true for surgical style masks.

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Vegan by proxy.

Correct. The masks with the outgoing air valve are great for sawdust and things like that, but do nothing to protect the people around you.

I had to wear one for three days this week. I found that as they get saturated with moisture from your exhaled breath, breathing through them starts to get increasingly difficult.

If you have to wear one for an extended period it is a good idea to have two or three on hand so you can swap to a dry one as the one you're wearing starts to get damp. They dry out pretty fast so a rotation of 3 of them ought to be enough to keep you breathing OK.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Wearing a mask in a public place used to result in alarm systems being activated and SWAT teams being deployed.

Now, not wearing a mask in a public place can result in social ostracism at best, or assault and battery on a regular basis.

I finally got my new custom-made face mask with a big smiley-face. Maybe that will keep me reasonably safe from the marauding hordes of virus vigilantes.

Maybe not. We'll see what happens.

Wonder if this is why I feel dizzy driving with my head encased in Saran Wrap.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

It's kind of funny - I can't think of anyone I know with a law enforcement background who is not uncomfortable when they see folks wearing masks. It really runs contrary to everything I have known, experienced, been trained on for decades. Same with hoods worn up when inside. A real extreme example was the doofus I saw in the pizza shop about a year ago who did not take off his motorcycle helmet.

People like that are someone you watch like a hawk and who cause the making of plans to escape with all possible speed.

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NHI, 10-8.

By the way, the so-called light procedure masks aren't 100% effective in protecting other people. If you cough or sneeze while wearing one (which I always do when around other people), the exhalation ricochets off the inside of the front of the mask, the droplets and particles blow out the sides and behind you, and may land on the poor schlepper standing to your side or rear.

Even total containment suits, which require a second person to help the wearer don and doff them, can be lacerated, rendering them ineffective.



There is no such thing as 100% effective PPE. The idea is risk reduction proportionate to the threat.

I'm so tired of this COVID stuff. I'm going out back and send some 170 gr. Silvertips down range from my Model 57.

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.

Ruthie's advice is: if you have to smell your own breath for 12 hours, use breath mints.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

IMHO i think the face mask thing is absolutely useless without social distancing, Who are we kidding, the is a airborne virus i think it can pass through the mask if a fart can pass through thick denim jeans.

Medical personnel can't help you by social distancing.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Out on my morning bike ride in the woods, up goes the N95 mask whenever passing someone. Pre-Covid, this look would likely have gotten me shot.

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^^^ Why would you be wearing a mask on a bike?

I doubt that most believe that a mask is prevention, but it is serious risk reduction - it keeps you from sticking your finger into your nose.

Should probably be put in a bio-chem hazmat suit at birth and nothing is contagious anymore.

Now, you are perfectly safe to all around you and yourself as well.

Randy

Sarcasm intended!

What if I don't talk to anybody while out shopping?

Never wore a mask never will.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

...been looking for one of these...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Sweatin' to the oldies.........




I wore this get-up while cleaning up meth labs.

The presence of phosphine gas and or anhydrous ammonia was a real concern

.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I would wake up in the hospital, see Ruthie and think “well, I made it to heaven, but the angels are astronauts!”

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Possum—The other white meat!

You have this all wrong.

If you keep a decent distance, 6' or more, you don't need the mask.

The virus is NOT airborne. It is transmitted through touch or fluid transfer.

The mask is to protect other people, not the wearer.

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Freedom isn't free.

It also affords the wearer some protection - if only by keeping them from transferring the virus to their nose or mouth from their hands.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

had to go to Wal-Mart, Needed peanut butter, as we walked into the store I pulled up my mask and looked and my wife and said, ain't America great "Wearing a mask and carry a gun in to a store where else can you do that"?

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Carpriver.

The virus (any virus AFAIK) will pass through an N95 face mask as though it were not even there. The face mask can only protect others from the wearer.

A face mask does make a perfect petri dish for the wearer.

At the AF Base Friday, could not pick up prescriptions unless I was wearing a mask. Mine is a M95.
Same when going into the Class Six for some real virus killer booze! LOL!

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

President Trump and Dr. Fausi want you to wear a mask so you don't transmit the virus unknowingly to someone else. It's not to keep you from getting the virus.

Not fun: Wearing full Level 4 MOPP gear for 8 hours straight in the middle of summer after a night of consuming multiple shots of Jagermeister and pitchers of beer and no sleep. After that, a mask is nothing.

My head hurts just reading this.

Ain't that the truth, even without the Jägermeister and bier.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

I don't see them wearing a mask.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Oh, I'm confident Trump wears a mask when he goes to the grocery store. . . .

And they have to use the same mask for multiple days.

I know what you are saying is what they are telling us. But it makes no sense. How can the mask block it in only one direction? I think the surgical masks protect you to a degree but not 100%. N95 is better but still not 100%.

I was also told the biggest way they protect you is to stop you from touching your nose or mouth.

If everyone wore masks we’d never be sick, but would have no immunity to anything. For the last 5 years or so they were telling us to stop using hand sanitizer. For just that reason.

I wear a mask. Because my wife is exposed everyday at work, and I don’t know if I have it. I don’t want to be spreading it.

My biggest problem has been not being able to read lips.

Or smile

That is not true. The mask protects patients from them, not the other way around.

Fortunately I remove my mask when I am in my office, but if I get stuck wearing it longer I’ll take Ruthie’s advise regarding the breath mint.

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213th FBINA

Guys, this isn’t absolutely one or the other. Saying “masks protect X, but not Z” is too simplistic.

Obviously, if you’re knowingly or unknowingly infected, any mask will limit the range to which your exhaling, coughing, or sneezing will launch any virus. It primarily protects others from you.

If you’re not infected, a mask still gives a degree of protection depending on your location. The virus appears not to stay airborne very long and is quickly dispersed by moving air outdoors, but if you’re in closed rooms with other people, a face mask can certainly reduce the possibility of inhaling some. Remember that the virus isn’t a self-propelled missile that’s set to “penetrate” your mask.

So the prudent thing would be to wear it in those scenarios where you’re close to unknown and potentially infected people and quick dispersal isn’t likely. Unfortunately, for health care folks that’s 100% of the time; but as a “civilian”, just exercise good judgment, especially since you can’t know for sure whether you might be infected without symptoms.

They furloughed their proofreaders:

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Oh,Sure!! You go out for peanut butter and members think it's cute. I go out for margarita mix and all Hell breaks loose.

I'm kidding...I don't care what others think.

I am required to wear an N95 for 8 hours a day at work. (I work in a Covid 19 Quarantine unit.) You get used to it , like wearing a firefighter helmet, and face mask, it becomes pat of you and you dont even think about it....part of the job. I am fortunate that I am getting 'Hazard pay" right now.

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S&W BG380, S&W 915 9mm