topic Re: What if masks were available and free? in Community Chat

What if masks were available and free?

granddi — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:12:24 GMT

It seems that unless or until a treatment or vaccine we have few options for staying healthy. Our only options are self quarantine, social distancing, face masks, hand washing and personal healthy habits (avoid touching face, eating well, mental health).

What if N95 masks were readily available to all at no or little cost?

What if disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer was free or at little cost? We are told that the virus is airborne and can linger on surfaces.

What if testing was available at no cost? If you are infected you will know and will be less likely to spead.

What if it was easier and cheaper to get people the tools they need to reduce the risk of being infected rather than self isolation? This might be the only and best option unless or until a treatment or vaccine is available.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Travone — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:17:09 GMT

Nothing is free......we will have to pay for it in the long run.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

mistyada — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:18:34 GMT

True but unfortunately many people would not use them even if they were free and readily available. If you look at the news, people are not responsing well to security guards, park rangers, etc telling them to socially distance or wear masks.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

millieshops — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:25:11 GMT

@granddiYou're more optimistic than I am. I believe the same maskless people claiming their rights would be claiming their right to avoid wearing even a free mask. Seems masks just aren't necessary or appropriate for some.

Further, from what I've read about those who have to wear the N95 as they try to surive, that mask can be horrendously uncomfortable. Maybe it's not if you're sitting sit or are in a quite dry environment, but seriously can you imagine going to a movie in an N95, shopping for a new dress in one, attending a wedding at which everyone wore an N95?

I do think the supplies we need to be safe should be available and those who truly can't afford should have free access. I don't believe the whole nation needs those things to be free

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Sooner — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:25:58 GMT

Some people will wear them, some won't. It may or may not do you any good to wear one. Nobody REALLY knows.

Isn't that about the sum of the story?

Re: What if masks were available and free?

willdob3 — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:34:22 GMT

@granddi

“What if” is generally a waste of time and energy.

I prefer a pretty sure thing - avoiding contact with people - over things that may or may not prevent my being infected. So much depends on the other people and they often think they are healthy when they have the virus. It simply isn’t worth the risk to me.

I am am not isolated. I’m alone at home but I’m in contact with others throughout the day. I’m definitely not lonely or bored.

I have no no plans to stand in line to take part in any experimental vaccine rushed through so that some drug company can get make billions with something that doesn’t work very well if at all and that almost certainly comes with pretty bad side effects.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Nightowlz — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:46:38 GMT

After what I just watched I'm not wearing mine anymore. Not staying home. Doing what I want to do. Hard to believe what's going on right before our eyes. I knew this was happening but now I know it's true. I'm not nuts.

I'm not taking their vaccine either. Not even if they try to mandate it.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Mominohio — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:36:55 GMT

There is still a significant portion of people who don't see this as all that dangerous, no more so than the seasonal flu.

Short of someone they love suffering terribly from it, they just won't 'get it'.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Mominohio — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:38:00 GMT

@Nightowlz wrote:
After what I just watched I'm not wearing mine anymore. Not staying home. Doing what I want to do. Hard to believe what's going on right before our eyes. I knew this was happening but now I know it's true. I'm not nuts.

@Nightowlz

What did you just watch?

Re: What if masks were available and free?

millieshops — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:42:30 GMT

The best knowledge scientists have now say social distancing,masks, and cleanliness tamp down the virus.

Statistics worldwide show it helps slow the transmission.

We have always had to live with the best knowledge science has at the time, but that knowledge doesn't guarantee and it changes with research and experience.

Do I wish science knew the weapon that will defeat this new virus? I wish, but in the meantime, I'm taking a chance for life following their best guesses because those recommendations are based on the facts they have right now - not on hopes and wishes and bravado brushing away the danger

Re: What if masks were available and free?

QVCkitty1 — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:47:29 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
Some people will wear them, some won't. It may or may not do you any good to wear one. Nobody REALLY knows.

Isn't that about the sum of the story?

In the end will we regret doing too much , rather than too little.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Nightowlz — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:57:03 GMT

@Mominohio wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
After what I just watched I'm not wearing mine anymore. Not staying home. Doing what I want to do. Hard to believe what's going on right before our eyes. I knew this was happening but now I know it's true. I'm not nuts.

@Nightowlz

What did you just watch?

@Mominohio

The video posted that was deleted. I knew all along these things were happening but people think you are crazy. Makes me sick.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Porcelain — Wed, 06 May 2020 17:58:17 GMT

@granddi wrote:
It seems that unless or until a treatment or vaccine we have few options for staying healthy. Our only options are self quarantine, social distancing, face masks, hand washing and personal healthy habits (avoid touching face, eating well, mental health).

What if N95 masks were readily available to all at no or little cost?
What if disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer was free or at little cost? We are told that the virus is airborne and can linger on surfaces.

What if testing was available at no cost? If you are infected you will know and will be less likely to spead.

What if it was easier and cheaper to get people the tools they need to reduce the risk of being infected rather than self isolation? This might be the only and best option unless or until a treatment or vaccine is available.

I think this would be ideal, and a lot lower cost than additional sick people dying, needing medical care, and being unable to work due to illness. Other countries are a lot closer to doing what you describe than we are, and they are sailing through this epidemic with minimal drama. We look like complete nutcases over here who cannot get it together. We look really bad and not like a world leader at all.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

granddi — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:15:53 GMT

I enjoy reading your thoughts.

I'm not saying that it would be manditory to wear a mask or wash your hands.

Medical grade N95 masks are effective in preventing the spread of disease. That is what is used my health care providers. So if ordinary citizens had access to the best medical grade masks protection then when ordinary citizens went to the grocery, or to church that person would be less likely to infect or be infected--just like in a hospital.

You can chose to wear a mask or not. You can chose to wear a seat belt or use sun screen or hold you childs hand when you cross a street or cover your mouth when you cough. My "what if" was just a thought that maybe we have some basic tools available to use until we have a treatment. Having abundant supplies of masks and sanitizers for all would surely be beneficial.

I was not baiting a topic on individual freedoms or what should or should not be mandated.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

stuyvesant — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:20:12 GMT

Taiwan did something like this. My laptop needs recharging, so here's my sketchy memory details -

In either December or January, at any rate when they first heard about the Hunan outbreak, they sent experts to Hunan to get eyes on the ground. They stopped flights, and did temperature checks on non-hot spot flights. They quarantined visitors. They didn't have the Viet Nam situation where "trying for herd immunity" British tourists went waltzing off to places like Viet Nam and had to be stopped from doing the herd immunity experiment in a different country.

Taiwan stopped exporting any medical masks. They were all for domestic use only.

They gave everybody a mask. Results, they are not in the news.

Korea sold the masks through pharmacies. There was a system, as an example you shopped either alpabetically, i.e., if your last name was A-D you bought them on Monday, etc. Or it may have been numerical, at ant rate, they controlled their mad rush.

Like I said, this is from memory, it's sketchy! Off to charge my laptop1

Re: What if masks were available and free?

noodleann — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:24:58 GMT

@Porcelain wrote:
@granddi wrote:
It seems that unless or until a treatment or vaccine we have few options for staying healthy. Our only options are self quarantine, social distancing, face masks, hand washing and personal healthy habits (avoid touching face, eating well, mental health).

What if N95 masks were readily available to all at no or little cost?
What if disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer was free or at little cost? We are told that the virus is airborne and can linger on surfaces.

What if testing was available at no cost? If you are infected you will know and will be less likely to spead.

What if it was easier and cheaper to get people the tools they need to reduce the risk of being infected rather than self isolation? This might be the only and best option unless or until a treatment or vaccine is available.
I think this would be ideal, and a lot lower cost than additional sick people dying, needing medical care, and being unable to work due to illness. Other countries are a lot closer to doing what you describe than we are, and they are sailing through this epidemic with minimal drama. We look like complete nutcases over here who cannot get it together. We look really bad and not like a world leader at all.

I would be THRILLED BEYOND MEASURE for the N95s alone. I rarely use wipes or hand sanitizer (don't think either are effective as customarily used and both are substitutes for what is, WASHING), and I wouldn't get a test unless I knew I was going to be around people in a family gathering or meeting, but only if they insisted.

As things stand for me now, it's impossible to envision any "normalcy" without N95s.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

lovescats — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:29:14 GMT

@Nightowlz wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
After what I just watched I'm not wearing mine anymore. Not staying home. Doing what I want to do. Hard to believe what's going on right before our eyes. I knew this was happening but now I know it's true. I'm not nuts.

@Nightowlz

What did you just watch?
@Mominohio

The video posted that was deleted. I knew all along these things were happening but people think you are crazy. Makes me sick.

that video was fake news

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Nightowlz — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:32:43 GMT

@lovescats wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
After what I just watched I'm not wearing mine anymore. Not staying home. Doing what I want to do. Hard to believe what's going on right before our eyes. I knew this was happening but now I know it's true. I'm not nuts.

@Nightowlz

What did you just watch?
@Mominohio

The video posted that was deleted. I knew all along these things were happening but people think you are crazy. Makes me sick.
that video was fake news

@lovescats

No it's not.

Re: What if masks were available and free?

Lipstickdiva — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:32:53 GMT

Social distancing is free and yet people aren't doing it. Is it really that hard to stay 6' away from someone?

Re: What if masks were available and free?

haddon9 — Wed, 06 May 2020 18:38:18 GMT

@Nightowlz wrote:
@lovescats wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
@Mominohio wrote:
@Nightowlz wrote:
After what I just watched I'm not wearing mine anymore. Not staying home. Doing what I want to do. Hard to believe what's going on right before our eyes. I knew this was happening but now I know it's true. I'm not nuts.

@Nightowlz

What did you just watch?
@Mominohio

The video posted that was deleted. I knew all along these things were happening but people think you are crazy. Makes me sick.
that video was fake news
@lovescats

No it's not.

@Nightowlz I missed the link. Could you please tell me what the anme of it is and I can find it myself. Was it on youtube?