As a glasses wearer, I can't say I'm used to masks. I still find them pretty unpleasant. I have one sport mask that I got from Amazon (2 month ship time, ordered in March and delivered in May)...
As a glasses wearer, I can't say I'm used to masks. I still find them pretty unpleasant.
I have one sport mask that I got from Amazon (2 month ship time, ordered in March and delivered in May) that works pretty well, but all my homemade masks fog my glasses instantly. The fogging can be ameliorated by pulling the mask up very high so that my glasses sit atop them, but that's pretty unpleasant too since it's constantly rubbing my eyelashes.
As a fellow glasses wearer, totally agree. Masks (especially improv ones) are intolerable for more than a few minutes. Which is how non-specialized masks are supposed to be used. A face shield...
As a fellow glasses wearer, totally agree. Masks (especially improv ones) are intolerable for more than a few minutes. Which is how non-specialized masks are supposed to be used.
A face shield would be 100% more preferable. Likely more effective for laypeople as well.
As a glasses wearer, I don't wear a mask at all*. Being that I do a lot of metal work I bought one of these face shields a year or so back and just wear it in lieu of a mask. It has more coverage...
As a glasses wearer, I don't wear a mask at all*. Being that I do a lot of metal work I bought one of these face shields a year or so back and just wear it in lieu of a mask. It has more coverage (sides go past your ears, top goes to middle of your head, bottom extends down your neck) and is more comfortable than any of the medical face shields I've seen available. Only downside is your voice echoes a bit/is louder to you than it is to the people you're talking to. However that downside is outweighed by the fact that my glasses don't fog up, the mask doesn't fog up, the entire thing makes breathing easier, and you'll be met exclusively (in my experience) with positive feedback, "damn, that's a good idea" statements, and people wanting to know where you bought it.
*
I have a backup fabric mask in the center console that my wife made me just in case I forget to grab the face shield as I don't leave it in the car.
You should copy what the medical masks do; see in a bendable piece of metal at the top so you can have it pinch your nose and match the contours of your face. Lightweight paperclips sometimes...
You should copy what the medical masks do; see in a bendable piece of metal at the top so you can have it pinch your nose and match the contours of your face. Lightweight paperclips sometimes work, but if you can very tightly roll up some heavy duty aluminum foil it works as well.
My homemade masks have Christmas ornament hooks (something like this) sewn into the nose bridge, which makes it better but not better enough to not fog, unfortunately.
My homemade masks have Christmas ornament hooks (something like this) sewn into the nose bridge, which makes it better but not better enough to not fog, unfortunately.
Having made a few masks by trial and error I learned that 18ga copper wire (solid, not stranded) works great, but for improvisational purposes, a length of two-conductor bell or garage-door-opener...
Having made a few masks by trial and error I learned that 18ga copper wire (solid, not stranded) works great, but for improvisational purposes, a length of two-conductor bell or garage-door-opener wire (prob 2 x 20ga with plastic coating) is just about perfect as well.
edit: also, even a good wire is insufficient to seal the nose area, esp. on those of us with big schnozes, though it helps. You really need a foam interface and, if you're breathing heavily, a one way exhalation valve (which usually defeats the purpose of an improvised mask).
I too wear a mask grudgingly. It makes me extremely irritable to have to wear one, maintain social distance, and handle whatever task I am trying to do, all at the same time. I have contemplated...
I too wear a mask grudgingly. It makes me extremely irritable to have to wear one, maintain social distance, and handle whatever task I am trying to do, all at the same time.
I have contemplated getting a large nose plug used for swimming and using that as a bridge to seal the mask. If I ever get around to trying it, I will let you know!
Update: I bought a pack of face shields for a good price on Amazon. While they won't be here for a month, I'm looking forward to them as I will likely be working 4 days a month in the office, and I have travel plans in July.
Allegedly (I just read this this morning so I haven't been able to test it myself), a drop of dish soap rubbed on the inside of the glasses will keep them from fogging up. I'm a little leery of...
Allegedly (I just read this this morning so I haven't been able to test it myself), a drop of dish soap rubbed on the inside of the glasses will keep them from fogging up. I'm a little leery of that advice myself, however.
Any surfactant should prevent fogging... even human spit (which is an old scuba/snorkeling trick). I wouldn't recommend using spit given the nature of this pandemic though. :P
Any surfactant should prevent fogging... even human spit (which is an old scuba/snorkeling trick). I wouldn't recommend using spit given the nature of this pandemic though. :P
Not convinced on face shields for people who aren't in immediate, continual contact with sick patients. Infection through the eye doesn't appear to be a high risk in the general population;...
Not convinced on face shields for people who aren't in immediate, continual contact with sick patients. Infection through the eye doesn't appear to be a high risk in the general population; conjunctivitis is uncommon (0.8%) among systemically infected people.
We need better-designed face masks, that fit snugly and breathably, without directing moisture-laden exhalations up under glasses, not unsealed partial barriers. [A sewn-on pipe cleaner or paperclip at the nose bridge will make homemade masks fit much better and minimize glasses-fogging, BTW.]
The main protection is from you to other people. When you breath, sneeze, talk, whatever your droplets will be blocked by the facial shield. Whether or not cloth masks can actually protect...
The main protection is from you to other people. When you breath, sneeze, talk, whatever your droplets will be blocked by the facial shield. Whether or not cloth masks can actually protect effectively from the disease is another, yet unresolved question. However, when an entire population wears masks, that is significant, because it's harder to spread overall.
The benefits, as illustrated by the article, over masks is comfort.
PPE as a whole is considered the method of last resort...distancing and avoidance are vastly more effective. Considering them 'good enough to ease restrictions' is a dangerous game. The best...
PPE as a whole is considered the method of last resort...distancing and avoidance are vastly more effective. Considering them 'good enough to ease restrictions' is a dangerous game.
The best masks, for 'more than 5-10 minute' use (aka what medical professionals should be using but can't due to lack of supplies), are properly fitted masks that look a bit like a blend of scuba gear, welder mask, and gas mask.
Shields will be cheaper to make and easier to use effectively, as you could build it in such a way to provide cloth-mask benefits a bit further away from nose/mouth and provide much better 'don't touch your face' protection.
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said. I work in a grocery store, and while I do see many customers wearing masks and gloves, I've been secretly complaining about them to my...
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said.
I work in a grocery store, and while I do see many customers wearing masks and gloves, I've been secretly complaining about them to my co-workers, because PPE is NOT a good substitute for simply staying at home.
To be fair, I don't think it's a good idea to judge any particular stranger. People do need to eat eventually, and I don't think subjecting gig workers to the horrors of instacart is a better...
To be fair, I don't think it's a good idea to judge any particular stranger. People do need to eat eventually, and I don't think subjecting gig workers to the horrors of instacart is a better solution.
Maybe some people are going ectranneously, but it's impossible to know for any given person.
Honestly I think the main benefit would just be to keep you from touching your face while you're out. And that being the case, we might as well have fun with it if this is the way we're going.
When you breath, sneeze, talk, whatever your droplets will be blocked by the facial shield.
Honestly I think the main benefit would just be to keep you from touching your face while you're out. And that being the case, we might as well have fun with it if this is the way we're going.
Personally, wearing gloves helps me avoid touching my face the most. I think it's just old muscle memory from basically only wearing rubber gloves for cleaning the bathroom and stuff like that,...
Personally, wearing gloves helps me avoid touching my face the most. I think it's just old muscle memory from basically only wearing rubber gloves for cleaning the bathroom and stuff like that, where clearly touching any part of your skin is pretty icky.
As a glasses wearer, I can't say I'm used to masks. I still find them pretty unpleasant.
I have one sport mask that I got from Amazon (2 month ship time, ordered in March and delivered in May) that works pretty well, but all my homemade masks fog my glasses instantly. The fogging can be ameliorated by pulling the mask up very high so that my glasses sit atop them, but that's pretty unpleasant too since it's constantly rubbing my eyelashes.
I wear the mask, but grudgingly.
As a fellow glasses wearer, totally agree. Masks (especially improv ones) are intolerable for more than a few minutes. Which is how non-specialized masks are supposed to be used.
A face shield would be 100% more preferable. Likely more effective for laypeople as well.
As a glasses wearer, I don't wear a mask at all*. Being that I do a lot of metal work I bought one of these face shields a year or so back and just wear it in lieu of a mask. It has more coverage (sides go past your ears, top goes to middle of your head, bottom extends down your neck) and is more comfortable than any of the medical face shields I've seen available. Only downside is your voice echoes a bit/is louder to you than it is to the people you're talking to. However that downside is outweighed by the fact that my glasses don't fog up, the mask doesn't fog up, the entire thing makes breathing easier, and you'll be met exclusively (in my experience) with positive feedback, "damn, that's a good idea" statements, and people wanting to know where you bought it.
*
I have a backup fabric mask in the center console that my wife made me just in case I forget to grab the face shield as I don't leave it in the car.You should copy what the medical masks do; see in a bendable piece of metal at the top so you can have it pinch your nose and match the contours of your face. Lightweight paperclips sometimes work, but if you can very tightly roll up some heavy duty aluminum foil it works as well.
My homemade masks have Christmas ornament hooks (something like this) sewn into the nose bridge, which makes it better but not better enough to not fog, unfortunately.
Having made a few masks by trial and error I learned that 18ga copper wire (solid, not stranded) works great, but for improvisational purposes, a length of two-conductor bell or garage-door-opener wire (prob 2 x 20ga with plastic coating) is just about perfect as well.
edit: also, even a good wire is insufficient to seal the nose area, esp. on those of us with big schnozes, though it helps. You really need a foam interface and, if you're breathing heavily, a one way exhalation valve (which usually defeats the purpose of an improvised mask).
I too wear a mask grudgingly. It makes me extremely irritable to have to wear one, maintain social distance, and handle whatever task I am trying to do, all at the same time.
I have contemplated getting a large nose plug used for swimming and using that as a bridge to seal the mask. If I ever get around to trying it, I will let you know!
Update: I bought a pack of face shields for a good price on Amazon. While they won't be here for a month, I'm looking forward to them as I will likely be working 4 days a month in the office, and I have travel plans in July.
Allegedly (I just read this this morning so I haven't been able to test it myself), a drop of dish soap rubbed on the inside of the glasses will keep them from fogging up. I'm a little leery of that advice myself, however.
I'd worry about the soap eating any coating on the lenses.
Oh I didn't even think about that -- just the film. Yeah, I don't think I'll try this out either.
Any surfactant should prevent fogging... even human spit (which is an old scuba/snorkeling trick). I wouldn't recommend using spit given the nature of this pandemic though. :P
That is so cool! And yes, good advice :)
Not convinced on face shields for people who aren't in immediate, continual contact with sick patients. Infection through the eye doesn't appear to be a high risk in the general population; conjunctivitis is uncommon (0.8%) among systemically infected people.
We need better-designed face masks, that fit snugly and breathably, without directing moisture-laden exhalations up under glasses, not unsealed partial barriers. [A sewn-on pipe cleaner or paperclip at the nose bridge will make homemade masks fit much better and minimize glasses-fogging, BTW.]
The main protection is from you to other people. When you breath, sneeze, talk, whatever your droplets will be blocked by the facial shield. Whether or not cloth masks can actually protect effectively from the disease is another, yet unresolved question. However, when an entire population wears masks, that is significant, because it's harder to spread overall.
The benefits, as illustrated by the article, over masks is comfort.
PPE as a whole is considered the method of last resort...distancing and avoidance are vastly more effective. Considering them 'good enough to ease restrictions' is a dangerous game.
The best masks, for 'more than 5-10 minute' use (aka what medical professionals should be using but can't due to lack of supplies), are properly fitted masks that look a bit like a blend of scuba gear, welder mask, and gas mask.
Shields will be cheaper to make and easier to use effectively, as you could build it in such a way to provide cloth-mask benefits a bit further away from nose/mouth and provide much better 'don't touch your face' protection.
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said.
I work in a grocery store, and while I do see many customers wearing masks and gloves, I've been secretly complaining about them to my co-workers, because PPE is NOT a good substitute for simply staying at home.
To be fair, I don't think it's a good idea to judge any particular stranger. People do need to eat eventually, and I don't think subjecting gig workers to the horrors of instacart is a better solution.
Maybe some people are going ectranneously, but it's impossible to know for any given person.
I shop once a week, or if I can stretch it twice every three weeks. But I need to eat.
Yeah I was gonna say, I'm not used to masks. Haven't worn it enough because I'm not going to places that require it enough
Honestly I think the main benefit would just be to keep you from touching your face while you're out. And that being the case, we might as well have fun with it if this is the way we're going.
Personally, wearing gloves helps me avoid touching my face the most. I think it's just old muscle memory from basically only wearing rubber gloves for cleaning the bathroom and stuff like that, where clearly touching any part of your skin is pretty icky.