If you haven't been able to get masks, DIY masks offer some protection

stuyvesant · ‎05-15-2010

If you haven't been able to get surgical masks, consider do it yourself cotton masks. The indications are that t-shirt cotton is a good mask source.

The idea is that ANY mask is better than no mask. But actually the few studies they've done show about 50% blocking of virus particles for flu from cloth masks, and coronavirus is bigger than flu virus.

Please google do cloth masks protect against coronavirus.

I say please google for yourself because I'm not ready to deal with the "the latest study is the absolute truth for all time" people, lol.

This is simply a public service announcement, something to try for the adventurous!

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

@stuyvesant wrote:
If you haven't been able to get surgical masks, consider do it yourself cotton masks. The indications are that t-shirt cotton is a good mask source.

The idea is that ANY mask is better than no mask. But actually the few studies they've done show about 50% blocking of virus particles for flu from cloth masks, and coronavirus is bigger than flu virus.

Please google do cloth masks protect against coronavirus.

I say please google for yourself because I'm not ready to deal with the "the latest study is the absolute truth for all time" people, lol.

This is simply a public service announcement, something to try for the adventurous!

________________________________________________________

@stuyvesant, in the interest in providing accurate information for people that might really need to protect themself during this time, the actual research we do have demonstrate that fabric masks do not protect the person wearing the mask.

Here is a research sudy conducted with actual health care workers. The group with the highest rate of infection with influenza was the group wearing the cloth mask, group with the lowest risk was the group wearing the medical grade masks.

A cluster randomised trial

A second study which actual examined various types of fabric including sweatshirts etc. used different high velocity aresol penetrations. Best results were a 40-97% penetration rate. Meaning that most of the particulate penetrated the fabric mask which would not provide much protection. That research article is here

Evaluation of filtration

I just don't want someone to have false confidence wearing this type of mask. I guess it is better than nothing in some cases, but nurses are asking for an envelope to be sewn into the fabric mask so they can put their surgical mask inside. This helps them protect their surgical mask better and since some of them are having to use the same mask for days, anything like that helps.

We don't have a wealth of clinical studies on fabric masks, mainly because they are only used in 3rd world countries. But the actual research that is out there is fairly consistent that fabric masks provide very little, if any protection.

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

stuyvesant · ‎05-15-2010

@pitdakota As you do, I also guess that a cloth mask is better than nothing. That's why I made my post.

Some mask studies. I haven't looked at them all, but I understand they see no harm in cloth masks if the alternative is nothing at all (which is totally fine too, both require washing your hands and not touching your face).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xh0AMQXrdGVpRjBybldSJQW5Sdt78gh2mvABs0Rja-U/edit

RoughDraft · ‎03-09-2010

@pitdakota Thanks.

~The only difference between this place and the Titanic is that the Titanic had a band.~

Pook · ‎03-20-2010

While studies don't support any real protection from cloth masks, if it makes some feel better then no real harm. It will protect others from the wearer's coughs and sneezes though. It seems to keep a mask sanitized after each wearing is just not worth the effort.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

Am I the only one sick of seeing this homemade mask stuff all over the internet?

Dusty1 · ‎03-10-2010

I talked about this once before. This is my feeling. It may just be something to make people feel useful & like we have something to offer, when things feel so out of our control.

Or they may actually be helpful & keep one person, or more people, healthy.

A local quilt shop donated all of the materials to make masks & divided them into sets of 25 for local people to make.

We made 1000 masks that were given to local health care.

My Mom died on January 18th. The Memory Care facility that she was in is asking for masks for the residents, so I am going to start working on that today.

Are they helpful? Maybe. Are they useless? Maybe.

They are asking for them. I have the ability to provide them. I am going to make masks.

And, my masks will look awesome! So they will look good, even if it doesn't totally protect them.

stuyvesant · ‎05-15-2010

For what it's worth @Dusty1 I think it's kind of heroic to make masks even though you're uncertain about it. There's just something so elementally obvious about a mask, howevere imperfect, vs. no mask.

Here's a study from The Netherlands (2008) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/

The conclusion states; Any type of general mask use is likely to decrease viral exposure and infection risk on a population level, in spite of imperfect fit and imperfect adherence, personal respirators providing most protection. Masks worn by patients may not offer as great a degree of protection against aerosol transmission.

Just a little aside - the scifi writer Mercedes Lackey is making masks for her delivery people and grocery store clerks, because they haven't been given anything.

Again, if you're self isolation, being careful, and going to the store once and week and would like to wear a homemade mask, go for it!

Dusty1 · ‎03-10-2010

@stuyvesant We are really flailing around in the dark here.

If someone does a test & says they absolutely help, someone else will do a test & say they absolutely don't help. Or they will all skip the tests & just give us their "valuable opinion".

I am waiting on my washer to run. I realized that I had never prewashed the fabric that they are asking to be used for these particular masks.

I have totes of various fabrics. I own every color of thread (because they are so pretty), I own a sewing maching, I can't get any elastic right now but I can make masks that tie on, I have nothing important to do, I will put on a movie that I have seen a hundred times & I will sew.

I like to sew, so it is a totally selfish act!

noodleann · ‎06-10-2015

Has testing been done on T-shirt masks?

I'd be concerned that they wick up the contaminated droplets and hold them next to your skin, your nose, and your mouth while you're wearing the mask, which could be for many minutes if not hours, and that they actually might enhance your chances of contracting COVID-19 from exposure.

Are there any scientific studies of these DIY masks?