An Alternative to the traditional face mask. A PSA. from Kirk Tuck on Vimeo.
So, I've done some research and it's pretty apparent now that everyone in north America (and probably everywhere else for right now) should be wearing a face mask every time they go out of their home. Not just sick people or people caring for sick people, but everyone.
In Laredo, Texas face masks are required by law!!! Go Laredo!!!
At any rate, I won't go on and on about "why" but I did want to make and show you a very short and low tech video about my current solution ---- until such a time as I can buy a ready made mask or two...
We'll all look like banditos for a while but then that could be pretty cool.
If you want to see the video bigger and better you can click through and watch it on the Vimeo site.
I'm not selling anything and this should not be construed as professional, medical advice. I'm just sharing my stop gap solution to an ongoing potential problem.
The stretchy things I'm using are made by a company called, Buff, and they are also sometimes sold under the "National Geographic" label. I buy them over at REI. If you have a sewing machine a a bit of stretchy cloth you could probably make one at home in about five minutes. If I tried to sew one by hand it could take five days.
That's all. I'm just excited to have a reason to use my video stuff. Stay safe.
Be kind and generous and maybe someone will be equally nice to you.
KT
Note: This post got posted a couple hours after my "more interesting and less serious" post of the day about buying Leica's. If you missed it please go back and check it out. I worked on it just for YOU.
23 comments:
Nice! Thank you for this PSA.
Kirk
Great idea. Only possible suggestion is instead of paper towel get a thickesh T shirt, cut it up into 5 by 10 inches, fold over to 5 by 5, and place it like you did the paper towel. When you get back, wash with stretchy tube. Idea from a doctor i know. i see them around the East San Gabriel Valley.
I don't use them only because I have masks.
Also wash your hands when you get back. use hand sanitizer after if you want.
Jay
Bearing in mind that face masks don't protect the wearer. Their main use is to protect others from the wearer.
But when would the wearer want to protect others from himself? If he has the pandemic, or had close contact, he needs to self-isolate anyway. Only the most selfish would go out and about when they need to self-isolate, so, such types wouldn't bother with a mask either....
tangs, according to epidemiologists in S. Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore face mask do make a difference in limiting contagion. In both directions. Not as dramatically as protection (but still much, much, much better than nothing) but very importantly as a barrier from people who do not know they have the virus because they are asymptomatic = perhaps 25% of infected people!!!!!
Many countries are legally mandating the wearing of masks. Regardless of which direction the benefits flow.
Kt,
I have added to my mask and gloves. Wear safety glasses! I don't want droplets possibly finding their way into my eyes.
Jb
As someone who has worn many tens of thousands of face masks over the years, this is indeed an interesting post. We have often asked ourselves whom are we protecting, us or the patient?
One visual advantage of members of the public wearing masks is that the effect of seeing someone with a mask is more likely, in my opinion, to make people keep their distance - 'social distancing'. One more variable in the regression analysis that will follow.
My wife ordered two. One with insect repellent, one without (she is a mosquito magnet). Luckily, we read the descriptive copy and avoided the handsome ones made of merino wool. In Georgia’s soon-to-be hot and maddeningly humid climate that would have been suicide. We in Georgia are fortunate that the governor has finally announced a stay at home order, with the usual exceptions. He immediately made national news — see Anderson Cooper, CNN — in explaining his change of policy as justified because he had just learned that people not showing symptoms can carry and spread the virus. Yes, indeed. Just learned that. Yesterday.
Nice job, Kirk! Thanks!
You sound a lot taller than I thought.
Kirk,
Lovwe the blaack one. I'll bewatching the news for stories about liquor store roberies in Austin.'
Bill Pearce
I'm just so happy nobody bitched about this being a video!!!!
Also, face detect security on my iPhone does NOT work when I have my mask on....Good to know.
Hand sanitizer! You have some? Still no hand sanitizer, or toilet paper, or paper towels, or any other hoardable items available in this mid-sized city. We've given up trying to buy any of those items.
But I do have one of those neck items stashed away. Time to pull it out of the drawer and put it to use.
DavidB
Trader Joes is doing a great job getting in a daily supply of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. They are rationing one small bottle of hand sanitizer and one pack (either six or twelve rolls) per shopper per day. Keeps the hoarding down a bit and helps spread around the necessities.
Our HEB grocery stores are doing a great job on a much wider scale.
I also have some folks in the neighborhood who have been making hand sanitizer and giving it out as gifts to neighbors. Good community.
Agree with everything you say Kirk. Just one little thing, when removing the mask one has to be extremely careful not to inhale any of the substances caught on the mask...ask someone in the medical profession, they have techniques for removing the mask. And lastly take the paper towel and dispose of it very, very carefully into the bin and wash hands on completion. Keep safe.
A 20mm lens is an interesting choice for this. When the video started, the first thing that struck me was how large your hands appeared, relative to the rest of you. Later in the video you hold your hands against your body, and this showed that the disproportionate appearance was indeed due solely to the choice of focal length.
ACK!!! Literally every mail-order place in the entire known universe is sold out of stretchy tube neck scarves. Probably blue shop towels too, but I don't actually know that for sure. I've got lots of brightly colored tee-shirts that are a little less than elegant these days, so I'm sure I can do something to protect everyone involved.
I wonder how banks and convenience stores feel about having their customers walk in with masks on?
Kirk, I think it's time for you to go and get a rescue dog to fill all this open time you now have.
Also...stay away from Perfection Camera with those masks, they might get the wrong idea.
Kirk, great video, thanks for the tip! You might consider adding a few more SLs when getting ready to go out - the weight of which will prevent it -;-)
Small add-on from Europe (Central Europe) : i think, is anything is far better than nothing at all in this days...
In there (Central Europe, but i guess in whole Europe), as general shortage of masks (practically you can't get it at all), and the spreading rate of the K-Virus -> is anything better than nothing in this days...
Few thing/Example: Czech Republic - mask usage is mandatory in public places, streets, etc. Smoking in public places (street) is prohibited (as when you smoke, you dont wear the mask...), the Public transport bus not start when someone not wear mask (europe, there less car...), etc.
In the general shortage of masks the Czech government suggest to use anything (like scarf, etc.). Peoples start sewing home made masks.
In other countries, example: Hungary, mask usage is not mandatory (yet), but if peoples go to groceries, pharmacies, public transport, etc, lot of people try to use mask, scarf, etc. But in the street, as go down walk with dog, some people put mask, some of them not (mostly not).
However, in there (first hand experience) the mask shortage not 'just shortage', but practically you can't buy. Simple masks (i not talk ffp level masks, what practically not exist anymore for public in there, even hospitals has serious shortage on that). As no stock in pharmacies at all, etc. If you get it (like Pharmacy get few hunderd, runs out under an hour), even a few piece can be pretty expensive (and for example: if you go to work every workday, go groceries, etc. may you use not just 1-2 mask per day). Hand sanitizer - Even small ones runs of stock for a while as i see/heard (i use soap)
However, toilet paper hording is stopped :D Shops now full loaded w/ t.papers now :D
Andras,
I just ordered 4 from BuffUSA for the entire family: 3 "Original" and 1 Lightweight Merino Wool. I figure I can use this for hiking and running in the PNW. I have seen these in my local REI, but never thought to try them. I don't know which fabric/blend would be best suited for repelling small, viral particles, but with the paper towel insert it's probably negligible. I prefer natural fibers like wool, so if it works out and passes my comfort test I'll order some more. Thanks for the tip.
Cool. I ordered a couple more. Be sure to read what I wrote about the better filtering of widely available shop towels (the rolls of blue paper ones) to put in between layers. It's less porous! Stay safe but don't forget to have safe fun.
Kirk, I had the same idea and seeing you do it, I tried, yesterday. We went for groceries. My impression is, people feel uneasy seeing that. Maybe because it is openly non-medicinal (no idea how to say that but you get the idea). Another thing is, we are not in the city, but it's a country supermarket, maybe people are not used even to real face masks. It's in Germany, Bavaria (most affected German region).
However! It is working really great to make others keep the distance! People really go far and around you even in narrow aisles.
Thank you! Great idea, great instructional video.
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