Use of home made face masks

Use of home made face masks to be mandatory in shops, public transport and other enclosed spaces, with high profile education on correct usage and importance of continuation of social distancing and hygiene measures. Coordinated approach of production and supply of masks by voluntary community groups.

Why the contribution is important

There is evidence that countries who have adopted masks for all have lower R0 than UK. This must be mandatory though with penalties for non-compliance otherwise uptake will be low. Supply of masks must be straightforward and education on correct usage is paramount. Using home made masks will not impact on PPE supplies for Key workers.

by JSRich on May 05, 2020 at 01:12PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 3.1
Based on: 16 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Fionadav May 05, 2020 at 13:18

    Great idea for use on public transport etc

  • Posted by kenmac May 05, 2020 at 13:26

    There is no evidence that home made masks are of any use. In fact they could propose a bigger risk giving people a false sense of security. I think this is a waste of time.

  • Posted by GillyWhite May 05, 2020 at 13:29

    I think the use of face coverings should be compulsory.

    Nicola Sturgeon is reccommending it - another statement to show she is 'in front of the game' but not really making any decisions. The countries that have made it compulsory have either halted the spread (i.e. Austria) or had very little spread (i.e. South Korea). Look at all the coutries who are doing so much better than us.

    Anecdotal evidence should be enough. It seems we only do things if Boris is doing them - the Scottish Government needs to do much more, our handling of this pandemic so far has, like the rest of the UK, been inadequate and woeful.

    I understand that as we made little or no investment early we are late to the party for proper face masks which is why home made ones are the plan - better than nothing - but make it compulsory or people will just not do it, the evidence is in the supermarkets now, very low take up.

  • Posted by Belladonna May 05, 2020 at 13:34

    I think this is a great idea, but need to bear in mind not everyone will have access to materials to make these? Or even the skills to make one effectively? This would need to be a co-ordinated effort of some kind to make sure everyone had enough masks (as they could only be used for one visit outside and then would need to either be discarded or washed at a high temp to kill any bugs) and that there was no impact to the NHS/care worker requirements/priority for these.

  • Posted by Ranger2dog May 05, 2020 at 13:36

    With issue of PPE then home made masks should be allowed.

  • Posted by gmb May 05, 2020 at 13:50

    The risk of infection via contamination of the mask, and from increased touching of one's face (near impossible to avoid when wearing a mask, especially if one wears glasses or has any respiratory issues like asthma) must not be ignored. As an asthma sufferer I would feel much more at-risk of infection with a mask than not. (I would make a possible expception for public transport, since you are then in close proximity to a group of people for a protracted time - which might change the balance of risks. But shops and other enclosed spaces - please, please, do not make this mandatory!)

  • Posted by JMack May 06, 2020 at 21:22

    I know that the benefits of face coverings/masks are disputed, but they are increasingly being used by countries coming out of lockdown in Europe, and their use is already prevalent in Asia. I believe that, to be effective in mitigating the spread of droplets from sneezes, coughs and breaths, their use in a population needs to be more or less universal. So, I would urge that the current recommendation to consider wearing a face covering in potentially crowded or busy situations like shops and public transport should be toughened up to mandatory status, with the customary range of enforcement provisions.
    Why the contribution is important
    I think that the wearing of face coverings/masks in appropriate situations is important because:

    1. It is beneficial in preventing the spread of the virus.
    2. It will publicly and visibly reinforce community commitment to a disciplined approach to emerging from the crisis.
    3. It will be acknowledged by the our neighbours in Europe and the wider World as a reassurance that we are taking the threats of a "second wave" seriously and responsibly.
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