A man carries cages with cats in an animal shelter in the Austrian town of Graz, Monday March 6, 2006. Three cats from the sanctuary that took in H5N1-infected birds have tested positive for bird flu, Austrian state authorities said Monday, confirming the first case here of the strain spreading to an animal other than birds. Some 160 cats have been transferred to be quarantined. (AP Photo/Markus Leodolter)You can find the N95 masks at Walgreens, 2 for about $6. I also saw them at Home Depot but they're priced at ONE for $6.
If we would need masks, wouldn't we need rubber gloves as well? If I understand correctly, the infection can enter the body through the eyes. (Scenario: Touching a contaminated surface with a bare hand then rubbing your eye?) It wouldn't matter if you were wearing a mask in that situation. I think an individual would be less inclined to rub their eyes while wearing rubber gloves.
(I hope all that makes sense!!!)
I deal with scads of airborne dust daily, and wear the same N95 mask all day, sometimes for a couple of days.
It's not that bad once you get used to it, and since I'm dealing with mostly lint, the mask actually gets MORE effective at removing dust over time.
I also wear rubber gloves when I have to deal with any of the waste stream.
For the fellow who asked why eyes get rubbed, have you never had an itch?