5 ms·
When I see all the masks littered outside (in France), along the road, I can see one of the reasons for the shortage
by 11235813213455 6y ago
When I see all the masks littered outside (in France), along the road, I can see one of the reasons for the shortage
- ceejayoz 6y agoLittering is a problem, for sure, but not the same one. These masks are disposable. They should be disposed of properly, but throwing them away isn't the cause of supply problems.
- deelowe 6y agoFYI, there are CDC guidelines for extended use/reuse: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguidanceextuse.html https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguid...
- ceejayoz 6y agoLimited reuse. If you read it, "extended" here means "several patients in the same day". Hours, not days/weeks.
- deelowe 6y agoI have read it. Have you? I'm trying to be helpful. Here are a few key quotes: Thus, the maximum length of continuous use in non-dusty healthcare workplaces is typically dictated by hygienic concerns (e.g., the respirator was discarded because it became contaminated) or practical considerations (e.g., need to use the restroom, meal breaks, etc.), rather than a pre-determined number of hours. Extended use alone is unlikely to degrade respiratory protection. If no manufacturer guidance is available, preliminary data(19, 20) suggests limiting the number of reuses to no more than five uses per device to ensure an adequate safety margin. The most significant risk is of contact transmission from touching the surface of the contaminated respirator. Basically, the major risk factors for extended use and reuse is contamination of the respirator resulting in infection from handling it and damage rendering the respirator inferior (e.g. due to improper seal). Also, these guidelines are for clinical settings where these specific risk factors significantly elevated. For a normal person who uses the mask maybe once per week (assuming they are rotating), a single n95 mask could last quite a long time.
- ceejayoz 6y agoYes, I did read it. > Extended use refers to the practice of wearing the same N95 respirator for repeated close contact encounters with several patients, without removing the respirator between patient encounters. You're reading it as "extended use" meaning multi-day use, but that's not what the article defines it as. You will eventually have to discard the thing as it gets soiled or becomes harder to breathe through as it collects particles.
- deelowe 6y agoExtended use is single instance. Re-use is multiple instances. These are separate things. If you read the linked papers, the reuse guidance is over the course of days with rest periods in between.
- GuB-42 6y agoThis is only practical in hospitals and simular healthcare facilities, where they need lots of masks and have trained staff and sterilizing equipment. Also, you don't usually find N95 masks littering the streets. These are usually just surgical or cloth masks, and they are not really worth reusing.
- bluedino 6y agoI re-use the blue ones many, many times. The thinner yellow ones fall apart after a couple uses though.
- codetrotter 6y agoAre you suggesting that people should be wearing the same mask for more days? The masks are for one-time use.
- Symbiote 6y agoThose are basic cloth masks. This article is about N95 masks, which are mostly used by doctors and nurses.
- ebg13 6y agoI don't follow. When you see metro tickets on the ground do you also imagine it causing a metro ticket shortage?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- himinlomax 6y agoMasks are disposable and light. It's rather unavoidable that some will be lost even if every user dutifully tried to properly dispose of them. I know I've had a mask fall from my pocket on a couple occasion.