D&D and the rising pandemic

[Dannyalcatraz]

More clarity on neck gaiters AND a second study focused solely on them. More research is needed, but the authors of the (still unpublished, so not replicated or peer reviewed) new study indicates the number of layers (2 is better, 3 is best) and- to a certain extent- materials matter more than actual mask type. Some of the multilayer gaiters were as effective or more effective than more traditional mask types.

If these results stand up to scientific scrutiny, that could be a boon to people with genuine mask comfort or acquisition issues.

Neck gaiters can protect against spreading COVID-19, study finds

“Fighting this pandemic requires us to encourage everyone to wear face coverings, and excluding a very popular face covering is a mistake," one of the study's authors told Yahoo Life.

www.yahoo.com

 

[ccs]

Don't say that I think they mentioned nuking a hurricane.

Well, "they" (scientists) many decades ago. And discarded it.
But to be fair they considered nukes/radiation for a great many impractical things.

More recently just one. Who probably still thinks it'd be a good idea....

 

[Hussar]

More clarity on neck gaiters AND a second study focused solely on them. More research is needed, but the authors of the (still unpublished, so not replicated or peer reviewed) new study indicates the number of layers (2 is better, 3 is best) and- to a certain extent- materials matter more than actual mask type. Some of the multilayer gaiters were as effective or more effective than more traditional mask types.

If these results stand up to scientific scrutiny, that could be a boon to people with genuine mask comfort or acquisition issues.

Neck gaiters can protect against spreading COVID-19, study finds

“Fighting this pandemic requires us to encourage everyone to wear face coverings, and excluding a very popular face covering is a mistake," one of the study's authors told Yahoo Life.

www.yahoo.com

Ok, not quite up to speed here, but, someone finds a mask uncomfortable, but, this is ok? Buh?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ok, not quite up to speed here, but, someone finds a mask uncomfortable, but, this is ok? Buh?

Most masks are secured by loops over the ears.* Those can become abrasive, especially if you have to wear them a long time or have to adjust them frequently due to fit.** It’s a common enough issue that improvised and commercial loop anchors exist that draw the loops away from the ears to the back of your head.

Add to that, I’ve seen people wearing masks + eyeglasses + earrings + AirPods... that’s a lot of work for a pair of cartilaginous protuberances.

A gaiter, OTOH, is kind of like pulling a turtleneck sweater up over your face.




* I’m doing mine a bit differently, with a lanyard with a locking slider

** I don’t usually have problems, but I have had a few disposable masks that just refused to stay in place.

 

[Hussar]

To be fair, we've gotten away with these sort of half mask things here - sort of a half plastic shield that goes upward from your chin to just past your nose. All the folks on the TV are wearing these things and apparently, they are good enough:

 

[Umbran]

To be fair, we've gotten away with these sort of half mask things here - sort of a half plastic shield that goes upward from your chin to just past your nose. All the folks on the TV are wearing these things and apparently, they are good enough:

For you folks, maybe. I don't think they'd be found to be sufficiently protective here.

 

[Deset Gled]

Ok, not quite up to speed here, but, someone finds a mask uncomfortable, but, this is ok? Buh?

IMNSHO, gaiters are also so much more convenient. On the occasions I've been at my office, I can throw a gaiter on in the morning and basically forget about it. When I sit at my computer, I pull it down and am comfortable. When I go get a cup of coffee, I pull it up. Ditto for hiking. I'm walking along a trail in solitude (or with my family), my gaiter is down; I hear someone walking in the distance, I pull it up.

Compare that to a mask. Every time I need to put it on (either in the office, getting out of the car, hiking, etc) I have to do the awkward dance of "Where did I put that thing down?" Is it in my pocket? On the desk? Then I have to get it on, adjust the nose piece, use two hands, etc. Also, I can't count the number of times I've stepped out of my door (or car, or wherever) and only thought about the mask 2 seconds afterward, then scrambled back to get it. The gaiter prevents all of that and makes it a simple part of my oh-so-fashionable ensemble.

 

[Umbran]

IMNSHO, gaiters are also so much more convenient.

The problem being that most of them are only one layer, and they are often of knit fabrics that don't actually stop you from emitting droplets into the air around you very well. It's like tying a bandana around your face - pretty convenient, but the fabric is too thin, and the fit usually not good enough to serve this purpose.

It isn't the garment's fault - they weren't originally intended for this use. So, you have to go out of your way to get one that fits the current needs.

 

[Ryujin]

For you folks, maybe. I don't think they'd be found to be sufficiently protective here.

Almost certainly not, here, because they do nothing about aerosolization. Clear full-face shields are used by surgeons, and occasionally other hospital staff, to protect against spray. The pictured mask does pretty much nothing.

A designer that I know, through his bad habit of throwing away vast amounts of money on motorcycle racing, is going to soon be doing a crowdfunding campaign for a N95 style mask that uses a front clear plastic shield, with a perimeter filter design. I'd be comfortable wearing something like that.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For you folks, maybe. I don't think they'd be found to be sufficiently protective here.

Yeah- they might stop or redirect what we emit by normal respiration, but yelling, singing, coughing or sneezing will mostly be unimpeded.