Who ever thought we'd be isolated in our homes, afraid to go out among people, afraid to touch surfaces, afraid to go to our families' homes even, for fear of carrying some dread disease to them, or fear of contracting something ourselves?
Well, that is where we are, and if you are NOT afraid of these things, then you have not taken the time to educate yourself about COVID-19, and you may be a big part of the problem. This is serious business. Be serious about it. Read reliable articles, not partisan political hack rags. Listen to revered scientists, not some jackass politician. Question motives of those who would have you believe this isn't something to be afraid of, because they have other motives than quelling your fears. Again, this is SERIOUS BUSINESS.
So, yesterday the CDC announced that they now recommend that we wear masks when we're out for any reason. Now, this is not written in the article, but they don't mean if you are taking a lone walk in the neighborhood, or you're taking your dog out. There is no reason to believe that the virus is floating on the air, waiting for you to just breathe it in. But if you are going into any business, home, or other building where other are, or others have been, you should wear a mask. There are several reasons for this.
There are basic reasons people wear these kinds of masks. 1) to protect oneself, and 2) to protect others from oneself. Number one is intuitive, but if you need an explanation, it may help you from breathing in some particulate that someone exhaled near you if they didn't practice social distancing, for instance. In and of itself, the mask is only as effective as you allow it to be. While wearing it, you MUST keep your hands off of it, you can't be adjusting it, moving it, pulling it off, etc. You are highly likely to basically contaminate your hands on surfaces in any given space, so messing with the mask is just going to contaminate that, and put the virus closer to your mucus membrane, and thus into your system.
That second reason, to protect others, people don't seem to understand. You are healthy, right? No symptoms of anything, right? No sniffles, fever, cough. Well, guess what! You can be carrying this disease and never know it! That's right! At any moment of any day, you could have picked up the germ from someone else who also may not have known he or she was carrying it, or you could have inadvertently touched some surface where the virus landed, and was hanging around just waiting for someone to pick it up and spread it before its life cycle ended. And now, you, if you didn't at least wear a mask, could easily be spreading this virus to more people every day. See how the cycle works? You could literally cause the death of others.
SO, back to masks. Masks are just one way that we can make it harder for this virus to pass from one person to another. They are not perfect, and we are still learning about what works best, but it's time to start the fight, nonetheless, because at least we know that masks can HELP decrease the spread of this insidious disease. If you don't think it's worth trying, then please, go to the ocean and throw yourself in, so the rest of us have a chance!
This past week, even before the CDC recommendation, I started researching many people's articles and ideas about masks. I have read university studies; I've read epidemiologists' thoughts; I've read state and local health departments' input; I've watched countless videos; looked at a hundred or so mask patterns; researched materials; and I've realized it's enough to make your head spin. Having worked in an operating room for years, and having learned about the efficacy of masks even all those years ago, I guess I have some baseline understanding of the med/surg mask to start with. Add to that the scientific studies that I've been reading, and I've put together some ideas for making masks at home to help protect my family and myself. I have settled on a face-fitting, easy-to-wear, comfortable fabric mask with a special pocket where one can insert a paper coffee filter for extra protection. This pattern was published online by a group called Masks of Love, Western North Carolina, based in Asheville, I believe. The sewing instructions can be found there. The printable pattern is linked below. https://www.masksoflove.org/
(NOTE: I modified this pattern slightly so that the front and the back are separately finished off at the ends, and then sewn together. This creates basically an open tunnel, into which I slipped half a standard coffee filter. I also created a small tunnel at the bridge of the nose and inserted a piece of 12 gauge aluminum wire [rustproof] with the ends turned under to make them blunt. This creates a malleable nose-pinch to make the mask fit tightly to your face.)
So, if you have sewing skills, you may want to think about not only making some for yourselves, but about making some for others who you know may need one. It's time we go back to thinking about and caring for others. I'm just going to say that again. It's time we go BACK to thinking about and caring for others!
THE PATTERN I USED IS HERE.
Well, that is where we are, and if you are NOT afraid of these things, then you have not taken the time to educate yourself about COVID-19, and you may be a big part of the problem. This is serious business. Be serious about it. Read reliable articles, not partisan political hack rags. Listen to revered scientists, not some jackass politician. Question motives of those who would have you believe this isn't something to be afraid of, because they have other motives than quelling your fears. Again, this is SERIOUS BUSINESS.
There are basic reasons people wear these kinds of masks. 1) to protect oneself, and 2) to protect others from oneself. Number one is intuitive, but if you need an explanation, it may help you from breathing in some particulate that someone exhaled near you if they didn't practice social distancing, for instance. In and of itself, the mask is only as effective as you allow it to be. While wearing it, you MUST keep your hands off of it, you can't be adjusting it, moving it, pulling it off, etc. You are highly likely to basically contaminate your hands on surfaces in any given space, so messing with the mask is just going to contaminate that, and put the virus closer to your mucus membrane, and thus into your system.
That second reason, to protect others, people don't seem to understand. You are healthy, right? No symptoms of anything, right? No sniffles, fever, cough. Well, guess what! You can be carrying this disease and never know it! That's right! At any moment of any day, you could have picked up the germ from someone else who also may not have known he or she was carrying it, or you could have inadvertently touched some surface where the virus landed, and was hanging around just waiting for someone to pick it up and spread it before its life cycle ended. And now, you, if you didn't at least wear a mask, could easily be spreading this virus to more people every day. See how the cycle works? You could literally cause the death of others.
SO, back to masks. Masks are just one way that we can make it harder for this virus to pass from one person to another. They are not perfect, and we are still learning about what works best, but it's time to start the fight, nonetheless, because at least we know that masks can HELP decrease the spread of this insidious disease. If you don't think it's worth trying, then please, go to the ocean and throw yourself in, so the rest of us have a chance!
This past week, even before the CDC recommendation, I started researching many people's articles and ideas about masks. I have read university studies; I've read epidemiologists' thoughts; I've read state and local health departments' input; I've watched countless videos; looked at a hundred or so mask patterns; researched materials; and I've realized it's enough to make your head spin. Having worked in an operating room for years, and having learned about the efficacy of masks even all those years ago, I guess I have some baseline understanding of the med/surg mask to start with. Add to that the scientific studies that I've been reading, and I've put together some ideas for making masks at home to help protect my family and myself. I have settled on a face-fitting, easy-to-wear, comfortable fabric mask with a special pocket where one can insert a paper coffee filter for extra protection. This pattern was published online by a group called Masks of Love, Western North Carolina, based in Asheville, I believe. The sewing instructions can be found there. The printable pattern is linked below. https://www.masksoflove.org/
(NOTE: I modified this pattern slightly so that the front and the back are separately finished off at the ends, and then sewn together. This creates basically an open tunnel, into which I slipped half a standard coffee filter. I also created a small tunnel at the bridge of the nose and inserted a piece of 12 gauge aluminum wire [rustproof] with the ends turned under to make them blunt. This creates a malleable nose-pinch to make the mask fit tightly to your face.)
So, if you have sewing skills, you may want to think about not only making some for yourselves, but about making some for others who you know may need one. It's time we go back to thinking about and caring for others. I'm just going to say that again. It's time we go BACK to thinking about and caring for others!
THE PATTERN I USED IS HERE.
