| Take all of the used ones here...
|
Posted on 08/02/2020 4:11:09 PM PDT by dragnet2
This was published 17 years ago
https://www.smh.com.au/national/farce-mask-its-safe-for-only-20-minutes-20030427-gdgnyo.html
Farce mask: it’s safe for only 20 minutes
Retailers who cash in on community fears about SARS by exaggerating the health benefits of surgical masks could face fines of up to $110,000.
NSW Fair Trading Minister Reba Meagher yesterday warned that distributors and traders could be prosecuted if it was suggested the masks offered unrealistic levels of protection from the disease.
“I’m sure everyone would agree that it is un-Australian to profiteer from people’s fears and anxieties,” Ms Meagher said.
“There appears to be some debate about whether surgical masks are able to minimise the effects of SARS.”
Ms Meagher said her department would investigate any complaints about false mask claims which concerned the public.
“Penalties can range from fines of up to $22,000 for an individual or $110,000 for a corporation,” she said.
Health authorities have warned that surgical masks may not be an effective protection against the virus.
“Those masks are only effective so long as they are dry,” said Professor Yvonne Cossart of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Sydney.
“As soon as they become saturated with the moisture in your breath they stop doing their job and pass on the droplets.”
Professor Cossart said that could take as little as 15 or 20 minutes, after which the mask would need to be changed. But those warnings haven’t stopped people snapping up the masks, with retailers reporting they are having trouble keeping up with demand.
John Bell from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, who owns a pharmacy in Woollahra, Sydney, said mask supplies were running low.
“At the moment we don’t have any because we haven’t been able to get any in the last few days,” MrBell said. “In the early stages it was unbelievable; we’d get people coming in all the time.”
Mr Bell agreed with Professor Cossart’s assessment regarding the effectiveness of the masks.
“I think they’re of marginal benefit,” he said. “In a way they give some comfort to people who think they’re doing as much as they can do to prevent the infection.”
That seems to be the mentality of travellers to Asian destinations, who are buying and wearing the masks while overseas.
Rosemary Taylor, of Kirribilli, arrived in Sydney from Shanghai last week after a two-week holiday in China. Ms Taylor and travelling companion Joan Switzer had worn the masks during the trip home, even though they had been warned they were of little value.
“We were told you need 16 layers on your mask for it to offer 95per cent protection,” Ms Taylor said.
“If the masks work why are there more cases with everyone having to wear one????”
They don’t work. I do metal fabricating using an arc welder, metal grinder and high speed rotary wire brush. This work produces dust particles and smoke. I typically wear a painter’s mask and shape it to fit. They keep out well over 90% of contaminants. At the end of the day the mask is just filthy from filtering.
Today I tried one of those blue hospital grade masks that hook on to the ears. At the end of the day this piece of crap was nearly as clean as when I put it on. My nostrils were plugged with dust and smoke.
For the life of me, I just cannot see why the public is buying into such a useless joke.
This was never about a virus or protecting people from it.
It was never about your health nor your family’s health.
It would be a waste of money cuz they won’t be needed after November.
| Take all of the used ones here...
|
Yes.
That’s my question. My other question is why all the sudden does no one care about the trillions of disposable masks that must be discarded after so many hours of wear every day, when just months ago plastic straws were being banned everywhere because they were destroying the environment and filling up landfills?
The CDC said back in May (3 months ago) that SARS-CoV-2 does not transfer well on surfaces. In fact, I don’t think there’s been a single documented case of transmission via surfaces. So the masks are not a problem and no biohazard containers are necessary. Simply throw disposable masks in the trash.
“but to wear them repeatedly even as they get stained and mildewed from breath moisture, sweat . . .”
I see people wearing those fabric masks all the time. I’d love to see the results of a test done on those over-used masks. I bet they are rife with germs. Maybe even more so than those crummy reusable grocery bags that people used to put all their groceries in once upon a time.
I see, so someone infected with the China virus could cough, sneeze and horf up throat particles into their mask all day long and the mask is perfectly fine, virus free?
The mask is not “virus free”. That is not the point. The point is that all available evidence indicates that if you were to touch that mask, there is extremely low risk of you contracting the virus from that contact. The primary driver of transmission for SARS-CoV-2 is respiratory droplets, typically when an infected person talks, sneezes, coughs, or sings in the vicinity of uninfected persons. There is some limited evidence of aerosolization.
There is no direct evidence of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2. None. Literally zero cases anywhere on Earth have been linked directly to fomites. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible (indeed fomites have been hypothesized as potential vectors as viable viral particles have been found on contaminated surfaces), but to date there is no evidence to support that it’s actually taking place in the real world. That is why there are no biohazard containers for masks. Because there is zero evidence anywhere to justify having such a thing.
As I would suspect.
You’ve ignored the entire rest of the post where I pointed out that there is zero evidence of a single transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via fomites.
Thus, whether the mask has any viral particles present is completely irrelevant. If you don’t get sick from touching it, there’s no reason to treat it as a biohazard. Because if there’s no risk from it, it’s not hazardous.
Then why have they repeatedly told people not to touch their face, eyes nose etc?
Probably because that’s just bad hygiene in general.
Regardless of whatever else you want to say, there is zero evidence of any transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurring via fomites. Zero. There is some level of completely hypothetical risk, but no evidence of any cases resulting from fomites in the real world. That is the answer to the question about “bio-containers for masks”.
Stole the question for a tweet...
Because they can.
That said, it’s just a smart thing to do, anyway, and not just because of upper respiratory bugs.
If you’ve ever had noro, you know what I mean.
Then why have they repeatedly told people not to touch their face, eyes nose etc?
Probably because that’s just bad hygiene in general.
Ya think anyone is buying that bull sh*t?
The parking lots are a make shift containment system?
To bad the don’t toss their dirty germy cash,too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
