VIRAL: Mother's EPIC Speech Destroys Liberal Narrative

Masks didn't work because people did not know how to wear them, what masks were effective, how to take them off, etc.  They seem to be a bit more about control and not of health.

12 IMPORTANT REMINDERS ABOUT MASKS

There is a lot of commercial price gouging that has started when it comes to hand sanitisers and masks.  Well, I suppose you can’t blame businesses for responding to market demands.  But be wise. 

3M™ 8210V N95 Particulate Respirator

Remember:  Masks are urgently 
needed for health-care providers.  
If you are sick, however, you wear
one to protect those around you.    

Masks are urgently needed for health-care providers.  Currently many people are purchasing and hoarding masks, just in case they might need them.  But we MUST ensure they are available for those working with the infected.  

Furthermore, wearing a mask and imagining it is protecting you from someone who may be infected with COVID-19 is a mistake.  There are many reasons for this.  Here are just twelve reminders:

1.   Most masks are not made of material woven tightly enough to filter out viruses as viruses are electron-microscope small. 

2.   When you are sick and need to venture out, the masks that afford the most protection for those around you must be at least an N95 or N100 mask. – but better to just stay home.

3.   If you wear a mask, it needs to cover the mouth and nose and be uninterruptedly tight around this area.  (For more protection wear wraparound glasses, because your eyes are vulnerable, too)

4.   Most masks are hot to wear.  They trap moisture inside and outside the longer they are worn.  This makes an ideal environment inside the mask for viruses and bacteria trapped inside to multiply as outside they catch and hold contamination. 

5.   Because masks are uncomfortable and hot, people tend to naturally move the mask around on their face (consciously or unconsciously).  They may even pull it away from their face, to let their face breathe or to simply get a breath of fresh air themselves.

6.   Masks may remind us to not touch our faces, eyes or mouth but typically we touch the outside or edges of a mask if we wear one.    

7.   The surfaces of the mask (inside and outside) collect more ‘stuff’ the longer they are worn.  The minute the mask is off it feels so good it is easy to touch your face, eyes or mouth.

8.   Masks typically aren’t made for multiple wearings and can’t be washed.  Therefore, just having one mask is not going to help.  You need to change the masks often depending on how long you’ve worn it and how contaminated the areas are you travelled through.

9.   Most remove or move the masks by the ‘face’ of the mask, again where the outside surface is contaminated.  Resist the temptation.

10.                     To remove a mask properly, remove it by the elastic around the ears.  Do not touch the inside or outside surface of the mask.

11.                     Remember, if you are unwell, it is primarily contaminated by your own breathing.  Disposed of the mask carefully by ensuring the more contaminated area is turned inside.  Throw the mask into a plastic bag (preferably one that is a (zip) sealable bag.  This protects others from the contamination.

12.                     Remember this virus lives longer than most bugs do outside the body.  When an infected person has coughed, sneezed or flushed the toilet, the virus is circulating in droplets in the air.  They lurk on surfaces to be picked up by another who touches their mouth, eyes or breathes the aerated virus. 

We are living in a time when our phones can keep us in contact with others, amuse and educate us.  We can order breakfast, lunch and dinner, access the news and pertinent information anytime.  Even with all the power in your phone, sometimes it is good to put it aside and rest.  It is a novel idea. 

How to Help Protect Yourself and Others

Please take practical precautions.

There are still many unknowns about this new disease, that has been designated a pandemic (meaning world-wide consequences).  However, there are some things you can do to try to protect yourself and others around you.  They need to be followed consistently during this time:

1.      Avoid crowded places and public transportation – so self-quarantine when possible.

2.      Avoid touching surfaces and shaking hands.  You may wish to wear gloves when you know you will be out and about.  At this time, in Australia, non-latex gloves are available in boxes of 100 pairs and reasonably priced.  They need to be taken off and disposed properly.  (More on the use of gloves in a later post.)

3.      Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, scrubbing vigorously if you’ve been out in the public or exposed to someone suspected of having the virus.

4.      It is coincidentally flu season, so many may feel ill and more than usual may want to go to the hospital or doctors.  Try to avoid this.  If you feel you need help, call a health provider (doctor, clinic, hospital emergency room) rather than showing up and having to wait with other unwell people who may be infected and not know it.  Self-quarantine may be the best choice.  (In Australia the support of phone-based and visiting doctors is a great benefit.)

5.      Because this is a virus rather than a bacterium, the ‘virus germ’ is much smaller than a bacterium.  Additionally, because the COVID-19 virus is well protected by a barrier, unlike bacterium, it does not die easily when inadvertently deposited on a surface.

6.      Hand sanitisers (that rely on alcohol) have not been found to be effective, although they do give a sense of doing something and may be most effective in reminding you to keep your hands clean and away from your face.

7.      Face masks may be helpful, but they must be of the proper type (N-95 Mask – more in another segment of the blog on masks and proper wearing of them).  They must be worn correctly (again the virus is very small) and will slip through little cracks and porous materials.

8.      Glasses (or goggles) may also be helpful should you be exposed to someone who coughs or sneezes nearby as these droplets are small and travel through the air and may land on your face and eyes.

For Australians, this resource may be of interest:  An overview as of the 8th February by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR0lgj0N2DI

HINT:  It may be good to buy a few masks now while they are available and not priced for the market value (meaning when there is a great need someone will sell the masks but at a hugely inflated price).  It may be good to also have some other basic supplies on hand, as you may find yourself quarantined.