surgical masks, prevent infection or spread?

Hey medical folks like Ray Bob and all, do these surgical masks prevent you from breathing in a virus OR prevent you from breathing out a virus and spreading it?

News keeps saying it keeps you from spreading it.

Mask are for protection from droplets. Hand washing will help from catching.

Not a super clear-cut answer that I have seen so far but what little I have read is that covid is droplet not airborne. If it is airborne, the only people that will benefit from all those masks are the mask manufacturers. (unless you have a PERFECTLY fitting n-95 mask)

If it doesn't make a difference, then why do healthcare providers wear one? Keep in mind the coronavirus is airborne. In my mind, it's more effective if the infected person wears it. It should catch anything when the person coughs or sneezes. For non-infected, I would think wearing a mask is better than nothing. It would prevent you from breathing in the virus but your eyes are still exposed leaving you at risk. Don't forget the hand sanitizer. #1 thing you should have and use frequently imo.

The ones most everyone wears will do nothing.

Sold out

And there isn't a cool factor...

I agree. Here’s a recipe for mac n cheese that I want to try.

https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/mac...let022720&utm_content=mac-and-cheese

While we breathe moisture can and will come out. We don't want that to fall into a sterile field and cause an infection.

Oh, so infected people should have these which is what I thought. If an infected person sneezes, then this may prevent the sneeze corona droplets from being inhaled by you.

In operating rooms, doctors wear surgical masks to prevent infecting patients, not because they may catch something when they cut open a chest cavity.

Once upon a time, my oldest daughter was feeling poorly and went to the local Docs here. They did a flu test on her and when they came back in to tell her the results they had masks on and they handed her one. Which now makes me wonder why they did that?

I'm going with the facial bandanna look.

How does the Coronavirus spread? CLICKY

I like it, but don't they make these in Red/White and Blue?

The basic mask helps the wearer prevent the spread of droplets which may contain the virus. The basic mask does not help the wearer avoid droplets very much. As stated above, a well fitted N-95 mask will help prevent the droplets from entering your lungs. The N-95 mask in not very confortable for daily wear.

Yes. Those are the tacticool ones.

Thank you.

Ahhh, mo bettah.

One should have came with my HD Optics Tactical sunglasses.

Masks prevent inhalation of droplet borne infection ... the N95 is what we wear when dealing with TB infection because of the better facial seal. Surgical masks are to keep our breath from infecting open wounds in the surgical setting but is also what we use with general airborne droplet isolation patients. Surely these surgical/procedure masks are not as efficient at filtering intake air as the N95 but they are better than nothing. In the last couple of weeks I've had 2 influenza patients (droplet precautions) and our isolation carts were stocked with the usual surgical masks.

Floating particles are the offenders but hand washing is just as important are the prevention of transmission.

definitions:

https://eportal.mountsinai.ca/Microbiology/faq/transmission.shtml

I want the N95 if I am at increased risk of exposure to the Corona.

N-95 masks not effective on people with facial hair as they must have tight fit.

Flu or possible TB

Thank you Sir!

I hear they are personally tested with flavored dust like Crystal Light tea.

Yeah, I'll shave.

My wife said this was a horrible idea. I don't tend to believe what she says so I figured I'd run this by the OT. The only ones I can trust. I'm thinking about getting a mask and smearing some ketchup on the front of it and wearing it to Walmart to really freak people out. Is that a horrible idea?

A great idea. You will have no problems clearing a path to the checkout.

Spread not prevent.

Between election ads, corona virus, and the Dow Jones, I hate to turn the TV on. It could get depressing if one let it.

From what I've read a mask without hand washing does very little. A mask with hand washing is much better than just hand washing, in terms of prevention.

Those Depends I have out in the pickup may end up doing double duty.

Gitcha one of these and never worry again...

https://www.zoro.com/alphatec-encap...Yg7tMrfRBR1u5EnqdN2n3XSBuxUaAiidEALw_wcB

Wash hands briskly for the amount of time it takes to say the ABC song.
When using alcohol hand sanitizer let it dry on the skin. That is what kills the bugs.
If this fails do CPR to the cadence of “Stayin Alive”.

It is a puff from an atomizer. Don’t know what it is but it has a sweet smell.

If the Cowboys were playing, we would to be on suicide watch.

It helps with droplet / aerosol spray mainly, not inspired air. Remember it’s traditionally been worn by the person attempting to contain THEIR germs (the sick person or medical staff) but somewhere along the way the Asian community thought it kept them from getting sick. Meanwhile, in airports all across the country, we dodged them thinking they were infectious once they donned the mask.

It will surely help you keep aerosol particles out of your airway if you’re around sick people coughing, sneezing or even talking. It’s also important to remember that many of these cultures will pack as many humans as possible into public modes of transport where strangers are literally breathing/sneezing/coughing ON you.

If you’re sick, it absolutely helps so we should all wear one or better yet..... stay home.

Right. If you are sick it will help keep you from infecting others. If you are healthy its not going to keep you from getting anything. Wash your hands, dont touch your face, stay away from

Dr. Oz said so. And he is on TV, so he knows best.