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Wear a scarf. The OP didn't say criticize people for not wearing mask-alternatives in a time of a shortage, they critized people for not wearing anything. DIY m

Wear a scarf. The OP didn't say criticize people for not wearing mask-alternatives in a time of a shortage, they critized people for not wearing anything. DIY masks may not be as effective, but they still help (some top HN post claimed 70%-80%). This isn't a situation where if you can't do something perfectly you might as well not try. This is a situation that calls for doing anything within reasonable measures (don't raid hospitals for masks etc). Paper masks are in shortage in Vietnam but that doesn't stop people from wearing big respirator kits or cloth masks that they rotate out.

barry-cotter 7y ago
Scarves are about the least effective makeshift masks, catching less than 50% of virus sized particles. A tea towel/dish cloth catches over 70% and a vacuum cleaner bag is over 80%, almost as good as a surgical mask. > Professional and Home-Made Face Masks Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Infections among the General Population https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/
- Jedd 7y ago
  > ... catching less than 50% of virus sized particles. This is true but irrelevant. You want to catch larger globs that carry virus-sized particles, and almost any material will help to some extent with this.
  - barry-cotter 7y ago
    Not discouraging it, just pointing out that there are much better alternative materials.
- mirimir 7y ago
  But breathing through a vacuum cleaner bag is too hard. Still, it might work if you did a radical pleat. I'll try it. As I recall, two layers of cotton t-shirt is the best option.
  - lonelappde 7y ago
    That would be awesome but I think you meant a "radial" pleat.
    - mirimir 7y ago
      Huh. I meant radical in the sense of large surface area. And I was thinking ~cylindrical. But radial is a great idea. And as soon as I started playing with paper, the ancient muscle memory of folding filter paper came back to me. Edit: OK, I used filter paper from a shop vac, 20 cm wide by 30 cm high, with six faces triangular faces on the top and bottom, and eight faces on the sides. The ends of the faces on each side are sewed together, with an elastic strap connecting them. So the base is a diamond, ~18 cm wide and ~12 high. There's cloth edging on the top and bottom, and a cloth-wrapped 1 cm x 5 cm strip of aluminum edging to seal the top of the nose.

barry-cotter 7y ago

Scarves are about the least effective makeshift masks, catching less than 50% of virus sized particles. A tea towel/dish cloth catches over 70% and a vacuum cleaner bag is over 80%, almost as good as a surgical mask. > Professional and Home-Made Face Masks Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Infections among the General Population https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/

Jedd 7y ago
> ... catching less than 50% of virus sized particles. This is true but irrelevant. You want to catch larger globs that carry virus-sized particles, and almost any material will help to some extent with this.
- barry-cotter 7y ago
  Not discouraging it, just pointing out that there are much better alternative materials.
mirimir 7y ago
But breathing through a vacuum cleaner bag is too hard. Still, it might work if you did a radical pleat. I'll try it. As I recall, two layers of cotton t-shirt is the best option.
- lonelappde 7y ago
  That would be awesome but I think you meant a "radial" pleat.
  - mirimir 7y ago
    Huh. I meant radical in the sense of large surface area. And I was thinking ~cylindrical. But radial is a great idea. And as soon as I started playing with paper, the ancient muscle memory of folding filter paper came back to me. Edit: OK, I used filter paper from a shop vac, 20 cm wide by 30 cm high, with six faces triangular faces on the top and bottom, and eight faces on the sides. The ends of the faces on each side are sewed together, with an elastic strap connecting them. So the base is a diamond, ~18 cm wide and ~12 high. There's cloth edging on the top and bottom, and a cloth-wrapped 1 cm x 5 cm strip of aluminum edging to seal the top of the nose.