CDC Recommends Wearing Cloth Face Masks in Public

[AARPMichaelP]

With the CDC now recommending that Americans use cloth face masks in public, tell and/or show us some of the creative ways you have configured a face mask for you or your caregiver.

[karenm326158]

I suggest that AARP secures a large amount of N95 masks for us "high risk" seniors so we are safer when we need to go out.  Cloth masks are not effective-- if they were the front line workers would be wearing them. 

AARP could package them up (maybe pair with nitrile gloves) and sell them to us.  

[JaneCares]

Hey there, Just a comment on the safety of wearing different kinds of face masks. The N95 ones are used by health care workers because they are exposed over and over again to virus, whereas those of us who are not on the 'front lines' may be exposed to one person coughing, so one "dose" of virus is much less likely to infect. Cloth face masks help considerably in reducing the infection rate of the person wearing it TO an uninfected person. If both people in an encounter are wearing homemade masks, they are pretty much safe. Do you see the difference? One reason health care workers get so very sick is because they've encounter lots and lots of virus. 

There's a british professor who does a daily covid-19 briefing on youtube, including holidays and weekends, and he did a superb explanation of why masks are so important. https://youtu.be/zhQw7vLNsDA   That's the link to that particular talk. He is adorable and earnest, and gives a view that isn't just for the USA.

Take care, and wear that mask,

Jane

who has to clean out the cat hair from inside her mask every darn time...

[AARPMichaelP]

Not a bad idea @karenm326158 unfortunately that is not something we can. 

https://www.help.aarp/s/article/COVID-19-mask